HISTORY NEWS

Truly a vintage destination, the 107-year old Mt Washington has added a new 20,000 square-foot conference center. This is the first step in what planners are calling a "billion dollar renaissance" to the Bretton Woods region. A billion? That’s downright presidential.

BRETTON WOODS, NH – Mount Washington Resort celebrated the opening of the new Presidential Wing with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this month. Dr. Susan Lynch, New Hampshire’s First Lady, appeared on behalf of the State of New Hampshire to cut the ribbon for the occasion and offered words of support for the revitalization underway at Mount Washington Resort, noting that Mount Washington Resort was a place for all ages, for every season; and that the new wing was a very positive indication for trade in the region.

The new meeting facility offers not only premium meeting space within a two-and-a-half-hour drive of Boston, but it is also defined by its unique location, historic atmosphere and comprehensive range of amenities and services from which guests may choose. Also in attendance were Tom Prasol, Project Director for U.S. Senator Judd Gregg; Peter Riviere, Executive Director of the Coos Economic Development Corp; Bonnie Moroney, one of the Selectman for the Town of Carroll; and John Birknes, a member of the Town of Carroll Planning Board.

Mount Washington Resort is undergoing a billion-dollar renaissance as part of a long-term master planned community spanning the next decade. The initial phase, a $50 million investment since 2006, is nearing completion with the opening of the new Presidential Wing. The Presidential Wing represents the first construction at The Hotel in over 100 years, and was designed to complement the Hotel’s legacy of having hosted the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference in 1944.

This wing houses Mount Washington Resort’s new 20,000 square-foot Conference Center, 25,000 square-foot Spa and new year-round outdoor pool complex. The Resort has completed the refurbishment of many interior areas of The Mount Washington Hotel, including the Great Hall, The Dining Room and many of its 200 guest rooms, along with the restoration of the Mount Washington Golf Course based on the original Donald Ross design of 1915. The Mount Washington Course reopened for play in August 2008 and is anticipating its first full season of play beginning this spring.

Mount Washington Resort’s new Spa, planned to open on January 22, 2009, has 13 treatment rooms and features awe-inspiring views of Mount Washington and the entire Presidential Range. The Spa has incorporated local botanicals into its new "Mountain Mist" line of products and treatments and is slated to become an unsurpassed place to get away, relax and rejuvenate. The Spa has many special features including special spa suites for small groups or couples, a salon and an outdoor lounge with whirlpool.

Mount Washington Resort’s expanded meeting and event space has been designed to accommodate groups of up to 1,000 people and offers intimate boardrooms as well as ballrooms and outdoor venues with unprecedented views of Mount Washington and the Presidential Mountain Range. The Conference Center introduces six new meeting rooms named after past Presidents represented among the peaks of the Presidential Mountain Range - Washington, Jefferson, Reagan, Monroe, Madison and Adams - the same peaks represented symbolically by the six stars of Mount Washington Resort’s logo.

The new meeting rooms reflect the same grand architecture, high ceilings and stately design as The Hotel’s existing rooms. The outdoor spaces include the Presidential Garden, located adjacent to The Hotel, as well as the Jewell Terrace, the new landscaped rooftop "green roof" that extends from the Veranda and forms the top of the new meeting facility.

According to Pat Corso, Mount Washington Resort’s President and CEO, "As we have done with the interior refurbishment of The Mount Washington Hotel, the new Presidential Wing, including both the Conference Center and Spa, have been designed to celebrate this grand Hotel, its grand surroundings, and the culture of this region of New Hampshire in every way possible. It is also our goal to continue The Hotel’s tradition of authenticity and innovation that has been its trademark since Joseph Stickney built it in 1902."

In response to recent inquiries regarding the possibility of holding what many have referred to as "Bretton Woods II," or a new global economic conference, Corso says, "We feel this place is a world-class setting. In 1944, there is no doubt this location played a role in inspiring the world economic leaders to collaborate and forge ahead with strength and optimism during uncertain times; and, yes, we would welcome the opportunity to participate in this important process again. The Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference of 1944 is part of The Hotel’s legacy; and with the new Presidential Wing opening, we would be ready to do it again!"

For more information about Mount Washington Resort, or to inquire about booking the Conference Center or a Spa treatment, please visit Mount Washington Resort’s Web site at www.MountWashingtonResort.com or call 877.873.0626 (toll-free) or 603.278.1000.

MORE ON MT WASHINGTON RESORT

Set at the base of the stunning 6,288-foot Mount Washington and surrounded by nearly 800,000 acres of the White Mountain National Forest, Mount Washington Resort is a four-season vacation destination for guests of all ages. The Resort, world-renowned for hosting the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference in 1944, offers a vast array of seasonal activities including championship golf on the Mount Washington Course, a newly restored Donald Ross-design, tennis, horseback riding, hiking and fly fishing during the summer months.

Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, sleigh rides, dog-sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing and ice climbing are offered during the winter. In early 2009, after launching a new year-round, world-class, eco-conscious Canopy Tour at Bretton Woods, the Resort’s $50 million refurbishment will unveil the Presidential Wing, the first construction at The Hotel in over 100 years. The new Wing will house a 25,000 square-foot Spa, 20,000 square- foot Conference Center and outdoor pool complex. As part of a proposed master planned community, spanning the next decade, plans for the development of approximately 1,000 new homes and home sites have begun with the first offerings now available.