For Immediate Release

September 30, 2014

Contact: Matt Hagan
202-483-3003
matt@bulldogpublicrelations.com

***replace rendering w/
current interior photo***

EMBASSY SUITES
CHEVY CHASE
UNVEILS SECOND
PHASE OF
$10.5 MILLION
RENOVATION WITH OPENING OF WILLIES BAR
AND ATRIO CAF & LOUNGE
Full Service Pub and American Restaurant Now Open to the Public Featuring
Savory Mediterranean and Latin Flavors

Washington, D.C. Food lovers rejoice! A Friendship Heights hotel has a

new sip and sup dining concept that has expanded beyond just hotel guests and is
now open to the public. The Embassy Suites at the Chevy Chase Pavilion,
managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, unveiled today Willies Bar a brand
new 2,000-square foot, 22-seat lounge featuring more than 100 top-shelf spirits,
fine wines, local draft and bottled beers. Willies bar*Extending just past
Willies is the newly renovated Atrio Caf and Lounge an 8,800-square-foot
modern American restaurant featuring a newly crafted small-plates menu of local,
farm fresh (local farm?) ingredients incorporating Latin and Mediterranean flavors.

Starting today, Willies Bar and Atrio Caf and Lounge will be open daily from
4:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m.
*ExtendingWillies Bar is named after the hotels admired sous chef
Wilfredo Benavides who passed away last year from Lou Gehrigs disease. In
special remembrance and honor of Chef Willie, one percent of all bar proceeds
from Willies Bar will go to the ALS Association.
The new Willies/Atrio menu features a host of specialty small plate items
including: fresh beet salad, cheesy kale and artichoke dip, savory fish tacos, spicy
queso, crispy calamari, aromatic truffle fries and Greek and BBQ chicken flat
bread pizzas.
Our new food and beverage menu delivers a tasteful fare that caters to
many diverse palettes, says Margaret Fenaoui, executive chef at Embassy Suites
Chevy Chase. We plan to become the Friendship Heights neighborhood go-to
hotspot for hotel guests, professionals in the area and DC locals alike looking for
delicious eats in a sophisticated, fun atmoshere.
Designed by HVS Design and Jonathan Nehmer & Associates of Rockville,
Maryland, Willies Bar takes on a clean, modern design aesthetic with earth-tone
hues and natural materials of wood panels and stone countertops. Atrio Caf and
Lounge are greatly reconfigured with the addition of acrylic-topped awnings and
an expanded soft-seating area increasing the total dining capacity and offering a
more functional space for banquet and catering services. Additional lounge seating
overlooking the Pavilion atrium provides guests with a relaxing place to work,
meet friends or simply unwind after a long day of sightseeing or meetings.
The colossal $10.5 million property transformation includes a structural
conversion throughout the 170,000-square-foot, 198 two-room suite property
offering an entirely new guest stay experience that is slated for delivery on October
20.
About Destination Hotels & Resorts
Destination Hotels & Resorts is an authentic collection of luxury and upscale
independent hotels and resorts across North America. Offering enriching, locallyinspired experiences from alpine adventures and stunning beachfronts to urban
landmarks, each property reflects the natural surroundings and culture of its
distinctive locale. With more than 40 properties in premier travel destinations,
including Aspen, Chicago, Denver, Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles, Maui, Miami, New
Orleans, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Santa Fe, Seattle, Vail and Washington
D.C., the award-winning portfolio features renowned golf courses, indigenous
spas, and exceptional culinary venues. For more information on Destination Hotels

& Resorts, visit www.destinationhotels.com. Follow us on Twitter: @Destination.

Like us on Facebook: DestinationHotels.
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