Acquisitions & Hotel Openings

Dolce’s Seaview Resort Gains Education Connection

MONTVALE, NJ - September 1, 2010 - The acquisition of Seaview, a Dolce Resort, by The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey will provide a new source of leads for education-related meetings and introduce a new teaching mission at the 297-room historic hotel, conference center and golf resort near Atlantic City.

The college yesterday completed its purchase of Seaview from LaSalle Hotel Properties, a real estate investment trust that owns 31 upscale full-service hotels and resorts totaling more than 8,400 guest rooms in 11 states and the District of Columbia. The hotel will continue to be managed by Dolce Hotels and Resorts and the golf courses operated by Troon Golf.

Steven A. Rudnitsky, Dolce president and chief executive officer, described the acquisition as a “win-win-win” for Stockton College, Dolce and Troon. “Seaview gains a local owner that is committed to the community and economic development while retaining the valuable Dolce brand and Dolce and Troon management expertise.”

Seaview will benefit by hosting more off-site meetings and out-of-town visitors for Stockton and by gaining access to potential new clients based on the college’s contacts in the academic and business community, he said. In turn, the college expects to invest in capital improvements that will enhance Seaview’s ability to attract more corporate and group clients.

“We are very pleased to continue in our role at Seaview and welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Stockton College in its educational mission,” said Rudnitsky. “Dolce and its officers traditionally have supported institutions of higher education, particularly those with schools of hospitality. This new relationship will afford us with a wonderful opportunity to engage our Southern New Jersey neighbors as well as the state’s university system.”

Stockton President Herman J. Saatkamp Jr. said the acquisition will enable the college to advance its educational mission by providing a hands-on learning environment for students enrolled in its Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies degree program. A number of those students are expected to work and live on the premises in a “learning lab” experience, just two miles from the college’s main campus.

“This acquisition enables us to expand our Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies program,” he said, “Our students will be part of a learning lab of hotel, conference center and resort management. Their experience will be enhanced working under the top professionals in the field and in one of the world’s most luxurious and unique properties.”

Seaview, which opened as an exclusive country club in 1912, today features world-class golf, recreation, dining and conference facilities on 300-acre complex in Galloway Twp., N.J.

The resort’s 26 meeting rooms and 16 breakout rooms encompass 27,000 square feet of space including a 6,634-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate seating for groups as large as 500. The resort offers 36 holes of golf on two championship courses and currently hosts the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Dolce Hotels and Resorts, a privately held operator of 26 upscale hotels, resorts and conference hotels in North America and Europe, was founded in 1981 and is majority-owned by Broadreach Capital Partners. The company, headquartered in Montvale, N.J., employs more than 4,000 worldwide. Additional information is available at www.dolce.com.

Dolce’s portfolio includes properties in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Colorado, California, Ontario, Belgium, France, Spain and Germany.

As a leader in the meetings industry, Dolce hosts some 30,000 events and 4 million group clients globally every year. The company’s founder pioneered the conference center concept and Complete Meeting Package, both now embraced as standards by the International Association of Conference Centers.

The company’s vision is to create inspiring environments that bring people together, and its mission is to delight its guests, challenge its associates, reward its owners and serve as a role model in its communities.

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