GN RESORTS + HOTELS ANNOUNCES $4.5M REDESIGN TO GENEVA RIDGE RESORT

Spurred on by its partnership with neighboring Geneva National Resort, the 90-acre Geneva Ridge Resort is about to embark on its second and most dramatic phase of an extensive multimillion dollar renovation that began in 2011.

Slated to start January 2015, the $4.5 million in sleek, modern upgrades to the Lake Geneva hotel will include new dining and drinking concepts, an inviting and tech-savvy lobby and reception area accented by a glass-adorned staircase plus a fresh facelift for hallways, restrooms and gift shop - all set to debut in May 2016.

"This rustic 146-room lodge is ready for a high-level redesign that matches the esteemed Geneva National brand with which it is affiliated," states Geneva National's president Garth L. Chambers, who adds that a hot new Lake Geneva escape demands a new and stylish name - specifically, The Ridge Hotel. "Four years ago, we pulled The Ridge under the Geneva National Resort umbrella, establishing it as Golf Club lodging - a move that boosted the hotel's business some 30 percent. These substantial renovations will raise the bar, brand and business further, positioning Geneva National Resort as the most convenient, affordable and high-end option for a full-service golf and meeting experience in the Midwest."

"Every detail of the redesign has been thoughtfully considered to speak to every generation while creating an unparalleled and welcoming experience for each guest," states Lori Mukoyma, Vice President at the Chicago office of Callison RTKL, the firm behind the hotel's current, crisp and comfortable concept.

Channeling the hotel's picturesque wooded lakeshore property, Mukoyma's team pulls the outside indoors with a warm grass green and subtle grey-blue palette, natural maple, river rock and water elements, and a unique use of light to create earth-hewn textures. The re-imagined lobby will draw guests to a buzzing bean + vine coffee and wine bar with countertop seating set against enticing gathering spaces - from oversized sectionals focused on a large flat-screen TV and groupings of lounge chairs intimately arranged hearthside to a communal table wired with USBs and whimsically shaped "pebble" ottomans strategically strewn about for good measure.

The following updates will further add to the hotel's playful panache:
* Replacing the Lakeview Grille with Crafted, a smart, sumptuous new dining venue and cocktail club room with panoramic views.
* Staging a statement entry with a grand 3-D perforated ceiling panel through which light depicting river stones cascades onto the floor.
* Swapping the former check-in desk with custom reception pods wrapped in warm leather and doused in amber light.
* Modernizing the first-floor fireplace with stunning linear accents intermixed with wood or stone features.
* Creating an airy staircase beckoning guests to the lower level with glass railings and a sculptural chandelier reminiscent of floating water bubbles.
* Installing all new fixtures while fully refurbishing lobby restrooms, wrapping each in shimmering strips of neutral tiles that drift up the walls from the floor.
* Fusing form with function, seamlessly and artfully blending easily accessible state-of-the-art technology throughout all spaces and furnishings.

The Ridge will remain open throughout the five-month construction project, which will be staged by Corporate Contractors, Inc., of Beloit in order to preserve the comfort and experience of hotel guests.

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