Mayor, Officials with Omni Hotels, Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum Unveil Design for Music City Center Headquarters Hotel and Museum Expansion

Mayor, Officials with Omni Hotels, Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum Unveil Design for Music City Center Headquarters Hotel and Museum Expansion

Hotel, Museum Expansion to Transform Fifth Avenue South into an Entertainment Destination

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Karl Dean today was joined by officials from Omni Hotels & Resorts and the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum in unveiling the design for the integrated 21-story Omni Nashville Hotel and 200,000-square-foot Museum expansion.

Located on Fifth Avenue South between Demonbreun and Korean Veterans Boulevard, the development will serve as the headquarters hotel for Music City Center, Nashville's new downtown convention center currently under construction and set to open in 2013.

"With the connection between the Omni Nashville Hotel and the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville will have a convention center headquarters hotel that embodies our identity as Music City and is unlike any other in the country," Dean said. "This project, combined with the design of the Music City Center, will energize Fifth Avenue South, and turn it into an extension of our world-renowned entertainment district on Lower Broadway."

The Omni Nashville Hotel design is a modern expression of the city's distinct culture and character, incorporating natural materials, exposed steel and regional limestone. The 800-room hotel will be connected to an expansion of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on four levels, sharing meeting and entertainment space and bring additional restaurants and retail venues to the area. Like the Music City Center, the hotel and expansion project is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.

"The Omni Nashville Hotel and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will become an ideal launching point to enjoy all that is Music City, attracting meetings and leisure guests to Nashville's core," said Mike Deitemeyer, President of Omni Hotels & Resorts. "This unique arrangement is further evidence of our belief in Nashville and our enthusiasm for becoming part of such a vibrant community and destination."

"Before we know it, we will have the most appealing convention center campus anywhere in America for the promotion and attraction of conventions and tourism," said Kyle Young, Executive Director of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "Steve Turner and I are thrilled at the opportunity to expand our offerings to school children, families, and local and international visitors, and be a part of this great vision for the future of our city - Music City! This is our finest hour."

The Omni Nashville Hotel was designed by HKS Hill Glazier Studio, an international architecture firm based in Dallas, TX, which specializes in the design of hotels and resorts including sophisticated urban hotels and unique destination resorts. HKS has undertaken similar hospitality projects in Orlando, Las Vegas, and San Antonio, among other cities worldwide.

Brasfield & Gorrie will serve as general contractor on the project. The full-service contracting and construction management firm is based in Birmingham, Ala.

The $250 million Omni Nashville Hotel represents a public-private partnership that will create 300 new, full-time jobs when open - 200 of which are guaranteed to be filled by Davidson County residents. During construction, Omni has committed to 20 percent diversity business participation and to spend at least 20 percent of the project's construction costs with local businesses. The project is being privately financed by Omni Hotels & Resorts.

Construction on the project is expected to break ground early this summer.

About Omni Hotels & Resorts

Omni Hotels & Resorts creates genuine, authentic guest experiences that take guests on "A Total Departure" to 50 distinct luxury hotels and resorts in leading business gateways and leisure destinations across North America. From exceptional golf and spa retreats to dynamic business settings, each Omni showcases the local flavor of the destination while featuring four-diamond services, signature restaurants, Wi-Fi connectivity and unique wellness options. Known for its award-winning, personalized service, Omni leaves a lasting impression with every customer interaction, with a heightened level of recognition and rewards delivered through its Select Guest loyalty program and the company's "Power of One" associate empowerment program. The brand is frequently recognized by top consumer research organizations such as J.D. Power and Associates, which ranked Omni as "Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Upscale Hotel Chains" in its 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM). To get additional information or book accommodations, visit omnihotels.com or call 1-800-The-Omni.

About the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The Museum's mission is the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture. With the same educational mission, the Foundation also operates CMF Records, the Museum's Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press, Historic RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print®. More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

SOURCE Omni Hotels & Resorts

Omni Hotels & Resorts

CONTACT: Janel Lacy, +1-615-862-6020, cell, +1-615-438-3416, janel.lacy@nashville.gov; or Caryn Kboudi of Omni Hotels & Resorts, +1-972-871-5625, ckboudi@omnihotels.com

Web Site: http://countrymusichalloffame.org/

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