Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Americaå‘s largest independent hotel management company, has signed a long-term contract to manage the four-star Bishop`s Lodge Resort & Spa just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The upscale destination resort is owned by Lend Lease Real Estate Investments (LLRE), an advisory and investment management services firm.
“This is our second contract with Lend Lease and a stylish addition to our resort management portfolio,” said John Emery, president and chief operating officer of Interstate. “Like the majority of the management contracts we`ve added so far in 2003, this contract came from a current client, which we feel is the strongest endorsement we can receive as an operator
.“Santa Fe, with its arts, culture and historical attractions, is a popular year-round destination, and the 111-room Bishop`s Lodge is one of the crown jewels in the area and the only resort in its competitive set located outside of the downtown area. As the capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe also is home to a strong state government and association demand base.”

The Bishop`s Lodge Resort & Spa spreads across 450 acres in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and incorporates The SháNah Spa and Wellness Centre. The Bishop`s Lodge is set deep within holistic lands that are steeped in the culture of the Pueblo Indians and home to some of the best healers in the world. SháNah (which means vitality, energy) has been created as a spa sanctuary where it is said, “Guests come to be nurtured by Mother Nature, guided by ancient wisdom, and touched by angels”.

At SháNah, all sessions begin with an optional drumming and blessing to set the intention and open the heart. The spa gives full 60 and 90 minute sessions that are focused on the synergistic dance of therapist and guest. A company spokesperson states, “Our motto is to individualise the treatment. Our therapists work in an environment that enhances their healing energy, their SháNah, and in turn nourishes and deepens the experience for our guests.”

Rich Niedbala, vice president, lodging & leisure group for Lend Lease Real Estate Investments added, “Bishop`s Lodge, with its smaller, more intimate size, occupies a unique lodging niche that requires the specialised attention of an experienced resort operator.
“Based on our experience with Interstate at our Lakeway Resort in Austin, Texas, we are confident that they can help this property achieve its full potential and deliver the high degree of personalised attention guests expect of a luxury resort.”

Interstate Hotels & Resorts, operates approximately 400 hospitality properties with nearly 86,000 rooms in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Russia, including 55 properties managed by Flagstone Hospitality Management, a subsidiary of Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

Lend Lease, is one of the world`s largest real estate investment managers with US$49 billion of assets under management. Listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, the Lend Lease Group operates in 43 countries on six continents, with a significant presence in Australia, Asia, Europe, and the United States.

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