Hotel Icon

Shawn Gracey has been appointed general manager of Hotel ICON (www.hotelicon.com), an award-winning Destination Hotels & Resorts boutique property located in the heart of downtown Houston. Since opening in 2004, the intimate, 135-room hotel, housed in the landmark Union National Bank building, has appeared on numerous best of lists. Earlier this month, its newly launched restaurant and lounge, VOICE, was selected by Esquire magazine as one of the countrys top 20 new restaurants.

Gracey brings nearly two decades of hospitality experience to his new post. Prior to joining Hotel ICON, he was the general manager and served on the pre-opening team of Shorebreak Hotel, a Joie de Vivre Hospitality property anchoring The Strand mixed-use development, which overlooks the Huntington Beach Pier and the Pacific Ocean in the Huntington Beach, CA.

Before that, Gracey was the general manager of the Graciela Burbank Hotel " since renamed Hotel Amarano " the only luxury boutique hotel in Burbank, CA. In this role, Gracey developed the urban resorts fine dining and spa wellness offerings, acting as the point person between developers, city officials, councilmen, designers and architects. From 1998 until 2005, he was the general manager of the Four-Star, Four-Diamond Le Merigot, a JW Marriott Hotel & Spa property in Santa Monica, CA.

Gracey holds a BS in Hotel & Restaurant Management from the University of Missouri " Columbia and participated in The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Companys corporate management training program.

John Spomer, Vice President and Managing Director said, Were thrilled to have a leader with the luxury experience that Shawn brings to the property. Hotel ICON is unique in all of Houston, and with Shawns quality background, leadership and vision, its a perfect marriage.

About Destination Hotels & Resorts
Destination Hotels & Resorts is a privately held lodging management company headquartered in suburban Denver, Colo. With more than 30 independent, luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and golf clubs, Destination is the fourth largest independent hospitality management company in the country. The companys portfolio features more than 7,000 guest rooms, 10 golf courses and 14 full-service spas. Destination Hotels & Resorts properties are located in key metropolitan and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, San Diego, Santa Fe, Aspen, Austin, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Maui and Lake Tahoe. The company is a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based investment, development and management firm Lowe Enterprises. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com.

For more information about Hotel ICON, please call 713-224-ICON (4266) or log onto www.hotelicon.com

Houstons Hotel ICON (www.hotelicon.com), a popular fixture on numerous best of lists, is on the cusp of adding a high profile notch to its boutique belt in the form of VOICE Restaurant and Lounge. VOICES culinary concept is positioned to capture the imagination and taste buds while paying homage to the true spirit of the historic 1911 Union National Bank building and burgeoning downtown neighborhood that it will soon call home.

Under the direction of its new steward, Destination Hotels & Resorts, the landmark, neo-classical property, which first debuted as Hotel ICON in 2004, is currently undergoing a $4-million transformation to create a fitting home for VOICE and a delicious backdrop for its regionally inspired Modern American cuisine. Accentuated by two rows of Doric columns soaring nearly 30 feet, the venue " which was formerly occupied by Jean-Georges Vongerichtens BANK " will formally debut April 5, 2008. Denver-based Johnson David Interiors is overseeing the redesign.

Executive Chef Michael Kramer, who led McCradys Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina to national acclaim after cutting his teeth under legendary chefs Roland Passot, Wolfgang Puck and Dean Fearing, brings boundless energy and out-of-the-box creativity to the table. Kramer intends to give VOICE a uniquely Houston-centric inflection with the goal of initiating culinary trends rather than following the lead of the east and west coasts. Using a combination of fresh, local flavors, innovative techniques and cutting-edge presentation, Kramer will look no further than Houstons own backyard, including South Texas, the Gulf Coast and neighborhood farmers markets, to source premium game, seafood and produce.

VOICE, located just blocks from the very spot in which Houston was founded by the Allen Brothers in 1836, will exude an authentic sense of place. The magnificent plaster and iron work, nearly impossible to recreate today, is being brought to the forefront of the design, capitalizing on the beauty of antiquity while adding contemporary elements through furniture, textiles and lighting. Its the juxtaposition between old and new that will create the core energy of VOICE.

With walls painted in warm hues of amber, crimson and taupe with accents of black and bronze, the color scheme is intended to bring the outside in with reflective qualities that will amplify and diffuse light throughout the day and night. The ceiling will take cues from historic palettes: light blue on the tray, cascading into a soft sage edge, white trim and metallic gold moldings. The columns will revert to their original state of marble white.
The 360-degree walnut bar will boast alabaster, bronze and Calcutta marble elements along with wide-planked walnut flooring and black and white cowhide-backed bar stools. The lounge, on the other hand, will have more of a contemporary edge with seating areas made up of settees and pods.

Adjacent to the lounge, the 92-seat dining room will be warm but sleek and uncluttered with high-backed taupe and gray chairs that speak to the volume of the space. Intimate private areas will feature amber, taupe and black striped fabric booth backs plus chairs upholstered in rich grey leather.

VOICE will also offer two private dining room options: an intimate section in the rear corner of the main dining room as well as the elegant Wine Vault downstairs just off the kitchen that can seat up to 30 with high-tech exhibition windows.

When VOICE opens in April as a place where people can sip, savor, and socialize, downtown Houston will once again have a seminal gathering place serving as a living reminder of its colorful history and icon of the cosmopolitan, international center the city has become. For more information on Hotel ICON and/or VOICE Restaurant and Lounge, please call 713-224-ICON (4266) or log onto www.hotelicon.com.

ABOUT DESTINATION HOTELS & RESORTS
Hotel ICON is one of more than 30 independent, upscale and luxury hotels, resorts and golf clubs in the United States managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fifth largest independent hospitality management company in the country. The company, headquartered in suburban Denver, Colorado, features a portfolio of more than 7,000 guest rooms, 10 golf courses and 12 full-service spas. Destination Hotels & Resorts properties are located in key metropolitan and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Houston, Denver, San Diego, Santa Fe, Aspen, Austin, Phoenix, Portland, Palm Springs, Maui and Lake Tahoe. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com.