Twin Cities' Northland Inn Becomes The New Minneapolis Marriott Northwest

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (July 2012) – Stepstone Hospitality, manager of the Northland Inn Hotel and Conference Center, today announced the hotel’s conversion to the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest. The hotel, located in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, Minn., completed an extensive $24 million renovation prior to converting to the Twin Cities’ newest full-service Marriott hotel.

Poised to be a flagship destination property in the Marriott brand, the hotel unveiled its new lobby great room, expanded meeting space and the renovation of all 230 guest rooms.

“We are honored to be a part of this exciting hospitality family and are extremely pleased with our successful conversion to the Marriott brand,” said Thomas Russo, chief executive officer,

StepStone Hospitality, the management company for the hotel. “Guests are excited that we are joining a leading brand known for serving business and leisure travelers with innovative programs, including its top-rated frequent guest program.”

The latest renovations include adding a lobby great room with a massive natural stone fireplace, an expansive fitness center with 23 state-of-the-art workout stations and refurbishing the indoor pool and whirlpool. The lobby includes the signature Marriott check-in pods, a new business center and a private reception dining area. Wadsworth’s Bar & Grill is open for late lunches, dinner and drinks. The Boundary Waters Café & Pub is coming soon for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

The hotel now has more than 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space (increased from 33,000), making it one the top conference hotels in the Twin Cities area. The additional event space was converted from existing unfinished space that was underutilized. The facility hosts more than 800 events annually for local and national corporations and associations, community organizations and family events, such as weddings.

The hotel has space and capabilities for handling events for up to 850 guests. The conference facility now offers three ballrooms, the Minnesota Ballroom, the Northland Ballroom and the all-new Hennepin Ballroom. Additional meeting space includes a 140-seat amphitheatre, executive board room and 25 meeting breakout rooms. All audio-visual capabilities have been upgraded to state-of-the art technologies and equipment.

“Hotel guests and event planners are embracing the new look and feel of the hotel,” added Mike Brunkow, general manager. “We are already experiencing an increase in business as our customers look forward to our inclusion in the Marriott family, including state-of-the-art renovations and service upgrades.”

For guests planning meetings and other events, the hotel has retained its user-friendly day package rate for event attendees. It also offers ala carte rates for food and beverage for added flexibility.

All guest rooms have been refurbished with the Marriott guestroom package. The all-suite hotel offers 230 sophisticated yet functional two and three-room guest suites designed with a living room and a separate bedroom. Each guest room has been upgraded with the Marriott "Revive" bedding package, which includes 300-thread-count linens, luxuriously fluffy pillows and plush down comforters and mattress toppers.

The elegantly appointed bathrooms feature Bath and Body Works® aromatherapy bath amenities. Each suite has two flat-screen LCD televisions, high-speed Internet access, two telephones, a custom designed pivoting desk with plug in panels, and an ergonomic chair. Additional in-suite comforts include a pull-out sofa sleeper and over-sized closets.

Signature design elements found throughout the newly renovated conference hotel are intended to serve as a reflection of Minnesota’s natural beauty. Chandeliers in the ballrooms resemble raindrops; carpet design reflects crop circles, walls are textured with natural stone accents and the hotel artwork embraces farmland, lakes, rivers and other elements of nature indigenous to the state. The color palette includes earth tones of tan and aqua.

Guests interested in booking rooms at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest for stays after July 21 2012, can make reservations at www.marriott.com/mspnw. Reservations made at this site are eligible to earn Marriott Rewards, the brand’s award-winning frequent traveler program.

The hotel is owned by an institutional investment fund subadvised by Boston-based Long Wharf Real Estate Partners LLC. StepStone Hospitality, Providence, R.I., has been managing the hotel since its acquisition in October 2010. Rhode Island-based Hotel Asset Value Enhancement Inc., the nation’s largest hotel asset advisory firm, provided strategic direction for the acquisition and conversion.

About the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, formerly the Northland Inn
Conveniently situated at the intersection of Interstate 94 and Boone Avenue, the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest is just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. The hotel has 230 two-room and three-room suites featuring some of the most spacious guestrooms in the Upper Midwest.

About Long Wharf Real Estate Partners LLC
Long Wharf Real Estate Partners LLC is a Boston-based private equity real estate investment manager formed in July 2011 following the spin-out of the Fidelity Real Estate Group from Fidelity Investments. Long Wharf currently manages two value-added real estate funds with aggregate committed capital of $1.5 billion from 60 institutional investors.

About Hotel Asset Value Enhancement (hotelAVE)
Rhode Island-based Hotel Asset Value Enhancement Inc. (hotelAVE) is the nation’s largest hotel real estate advisory firm, specializing in asset management and due diligence for the hospitality industry. hotelAVE has over $2B of hotel assets under management and an additional $4B of hotel assets for which it provides advisory services, including many of the world’s largest banks and investment funds.

About StepStone Hospitality
Rhode Island-based StepStone Hospitality specializes in management for full-service hotel and restaurant operations. The company provides a unique combination of strong, hands-on operations, world-class strategic asset management, and food and beverage expertise, maintaining a balanced focus between revenue enhancement, margin expansion and guest satisfaction.

About Marriott International
Visit Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

Editors’ Note: Images of the new Minneapolis Marriott Northwest are available upon request.
Media Contact:
Shelley Schmeck, StepStone Hospitality
Email: sschmeck@stepstonehospitality.com
Phone: 407-492-5984