For Immediate Release

Lisa Beers
Waterford Hotel Group, Inc.
Tel 860/701-9621
Email: lbeers@waterfordgroup.net

LOCAL HOTEL’S RENOVATION GENERATES SUPPORT FOR JOURNEY HOME,
HARTFORD’S PROGRAM TO END HOMELESSNESS
Downtown Hartford Marriott Residence Inn to Donate Furniture to Shelters and Transitional Housing
Manchester Moving & Storage Donates Labor, Trucks & Warehouse

Hartford, CT (January 23, 2008) --- Today, volunteers and employees gathered at the Residence Inn by Marriott, located at 942 Main Street, to load furniture into moving trucks. The furniture move is part of an ongoing effort to support Journey Home, Hartford’s program to end homelessness within 10 years. The 120-suite Marriott Residence Inn is donating most of its five year old furniture during an extensive interior renovation project. In all, nearly 1,000 items will find their way to dozens of charitable organizations serving the homeless in the Greater Hartford region. Manchester Moving & Storage has generously donated labor, trucks and a warehouse to assist with the transition and storage of furniture removed from the hotel. Donated items include sleeper sofas, upholstered lounge chairs, mattress and box spring sets, dining chairs, desk chairs, lamps, art and framed mirrors.

The 120-suite Residence Inn by Marriott is owned by Richardson Redo, LLC. The ownership entity includes Hartford developers Philip Schonberger , Marc Levine and Sam Fingold; Waterford-based developers Len Wolman and Mark Wolman; and, Del Lauria, Stephan Slavik and Richard Slavik, all of Michigan. The hotel is professionally managed by Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel management company. “We had many options of what to do with the furniture, but the donation to the Journey Home project was the best choice,” commented Philip Schonberger on behalf of hotel ownership. “We are proud to support the Journey Home project and the pursuit to end homelessness. We encourage other Connecticut hotels and businesses to consider doing the same when looking to replace furniture,” he added.

The Hartford Residence Inn is undergoing an extensive interior renovation. Inside the hotel’s lobby, new furniture, carpet and wallpaper has completely transformed the space to reflect a more rich and contemporary design. The breakfast area, or Hearth Room, has been redone and updated, including the addition of a flat screen television. New carpet and wallpaper has also been installed throughout the hotel’s hallways and corridors, and a new business center is currently under construction. Renovations in the guestrooms include new carpet, bedding and bath fixtures, as well as new tile flooring in each of the room’s kitchen areas. “The Downtown Hartford Marriott Residence Inn prides itself in providing exceptional guest service and beautiful accommodations. We continuously strive to improve the guest experience and the improvements being made at our hotel will do just that,” said Mark Graham, the hotel’s general manager.

About Journey Home
During the past year more than 4,000 people in Connecticut spent from a night or two to the whole year in an emergency shelter and nearly twice this number were turned away because there was not enough room for them. To address this need, Mayor Eddie A. Perez has led the Hartford region in developing a 10-year plan to end homelessness. The primary focus of this implementation plan includes reducing the frequency and duration of homelessness and moving more homeless into stable, permanent housing. Hartford has joined more than 300 cities across the country that have made the same commitment. Cities including Portland, Seattle, Houston, Denver and Philadelphia have all embraced this effort over the past three years with some excellent results. Over the past year, the 18 members of the Commission to End Homelessness and over 130 volunteers have diligently worked to create a plan to dramatically reduce and ultimately end homelessness in the region by 2015. William Farley, President CT Region of CB Richard Ellis serves as Chair of Journey Home.

About Residence Inn by Marriott Hartford
The Residence Inn by Marriott Hartford opened in June, 2000. The hotel is one component of the historic preservation and rehabilitation project at the historic Richardson Building which was built in 1876 and previously operated as the Brown, Thompson Department Store. The hotel’s exceptional location puts guests close to all there is to see and do in Hartford, including shopping, entertainment and fine dining. The Downtown Hartford Residence Inn offers all the conveniences and amenities of a hotel, plus all the comforts of a spacious suite with a fully equipped kitchen and workspace. The hotel also offers complimentary daily hot breakfast, a weekday evening reception which includes a light meal, high speed internet access, and a fitness center.

About Waterford Hotel Group
Waterford Hotel Group, Inc., with headquarters in Waterford, CT, currently manages 24 properties in eight states. Waterford Hotel Group has experience operating virtually every type of hotel property, including limited services properties, all-suite hotels, conference centers, and large full service and resort properties. The company's approach to hotel development and operations is hands-on, and features frequent site visits and constant communication with customers and partners. Additionally, Waterford Hotel Group offers centralized accounting, financial reporting, strategic marketing, human resources, and day-to-day operations management systems to increase market share and profitability at all properties. For more information, visit the company's website at www.waterfordgroup.net.
 

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