In order to celebrate the 70th birthday of the historic property ANDALUZ is offering seven (7) free weekend getaways to the people who submit their unique and charming memories of the Historic ANDALUZ Property.

When: Submissions will be accepted until August 31, 2009.

Where: Stories can be submitted via the hotel web-site www.HotelAndaluz.com.

Why: When the building was first opened on June 9, 1939, as the “Albuquerque Hilton” it was Conrad Hilton’s first hotel in his home state, the tallest building in the state, and the first hotel with air conditioning in New Mexico. It remained a Hilton until the mid-60s when it became the “Plaza.” The hotel was renovated in 1984 and renamed the “La Posada de Albuquerque” and the building was placed onto the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently in the final stages of a $30 million renovation and will re-open in the Fall as “Andaluz” – a name chosen to honor the architectural style that Hilton used when creating the hotel 70 years ago.

In order to honor and recognize the many memories that have taken place at this beautiful property, ANDALUZ is providing an opportunity for people to share their stories (or their family’s stories) with others.

How:
1) Go to www.hotelandaluz.com and click “Tell us your story” in the lower right corner of the home page

2) Complete the form with your contact information, then upload a picture of yourself, the story you’d like to share, and any pictures you might have that illustrate your story. Click submit and your story will be uploaded to a special section of the website where you can view it, along with other stories and photos that have been uploaded.

3) The top seven stories from those submitted will win a free three-day, two-night weekend getaway this fall at ANDALUZ, complete with deluxe accommodations.

About ANDALUZ
The former La Posada de Albuquerque Hotel will reopen in fall 2009 as ANDALUZ, following a $30 million major renovation. The hotel’s new name reflects the Moroccan and Spanish- inspired architecture that Conrad Hilton incorporated into this, his first hotel in his native New Mexico, when the building was first constructed in the late 1930’s. In addition to a full-service restaurant, Saffron, and an exciting indoor/outdoor bar, Ibiza, ANDALUZ will also feature a mezzanine-level cultural center honoring New Mexico’s museums, cultural institutions, performing arts groups, and other culturally significant organizations. The renovation preserves the history of the building, while modernizing its technology and introducing true environmental sustainability. When complete, ANDALUZ will achieve gold LEED certification making the ANDALUZ property, a member of the National Register of Historic Places, one of the first historic hotels in America to achieve LEED certification. ANDALUZ, owned by Goodman Realty Group and operated by Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, is located a block from the Albuquerque Convention Center and will become have 107 rooms and suites, and meeting space for a variety of corporate booking needs. For more information, please visit www.hotelandaluz.com.
 
About Goodman Realty Group
Albuquerque-based Goodman Realty Group is a full service, national real estate firm, with more than thirty years of experience in construction, management and leasing of shopping centers, industrial property, office buildings, residential real estate, and now hotels. Goodman Realty is well-known for a true commitment to the marriage of sound business economics with true environmental sustainability. In addition to the remodeling of ANDALUZ, Goodman Realty is leading the re-development of the Winrock area of Uptown Albuquerque.

Gemstone Hotels & Resorts LLC.
Headquartered in Park City, Utah, Gemstone is a full-service operating and asset management company that specializes in luxury and upscale hotels and complex resorts. Gemstone currently manages or asset manages 15 projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Washington.