WASHINGTON, DC – W Washington D.C. has signed on to become the Official Tournament Hotel for the 2010 Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO, an ATP World Tour 500 and Olympus US Open Series event that returns to the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park from July 31 through August 8, 2010. The Legg Mason Tennis Classic, a BEST production, has been held in Washington, D.C. since 1969 and annually features the top players from the ATP World Tour.
“We are thrilled to be part of the Legg Mason Tournament and have the players actually stay in Washington while they are participating in one of the city’s premiere sporting events,” says Ed Baten, General Manager of W Washington D.C. “The Legg Mason is a Washington institution, which W Washington D.C. is fast becoming, and we both share a passion for innovation and excellence while giving back to our community. We look forward to a wonderful partnership.”
As the Official Tournament Hotel, W Washington D.C. will provide its’ WOW accommodations for the world’s top tennis professionals, with features that include the signature W bed and world-class amenities including in-room dining service from world renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. W Washington D.C. has the city’s best rooftop views from its P.O.V. rooftop lounge, and is within easy walking distance of the National Mall and many of the District’s most popular monuments, museums and restaurants, including the nationally acclaimed J&G Steakhouse, located inside of the hotel.
“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with W Washington D.C. as the Official Hotel of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic,” said Jeff Newman, Tournament. “W Washington D.C., will offer world-class service for our players and tournament guests while at the same time providing the ultimate experience of being in the heart of our Nation’s Capital.”
Located next door to The White House, the fabled Hotel Washington - one of the city’s oldest hotels –has been reinvented into W Washington D.C., revitalizing historic traditions into contemporary sophistication. The Beaux Arts beauty remains, but the interior is all new – where Dianna Wong's sleek setting, SWEAT® Fitness Center and the capital city's first Bliss® Spa assemble in vogue.
In place of a standard lobby, the W Washington D.C. offers up their Living Room, an eclectic gathering area with amenities that include W Signature Cocktails and Bar Service, board games, books, high speed Internet access, and live DJ mixes in the late afternoon.
P.O.V., the W Washington’s rooftop bar and terrace, has become one of the area’s most popular, hosting top celebrities, politicos and socialites, providing unsurpassed views of the nation’s capital, in a bar recognized for unique, freshly made mixers and a wide array of spirits.
Ticket packages and Single Session Tickets for the Legg Mason Tennis Classic go on public sale Saturday, May 1.
For more information on the Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO, please visit the tournament website at www.leggmasontennisclassic.com, follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/leggmasontennisclassic, or call 202.721.9500.
About The WTEF
The Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF) was founded in 1955 as an organization designed to help disadvantaged youth through tennis. Since then, it has evolved into an organization that provides academic help to at-risk children, by helping them to apply the lessons learned on the tennis court in the classroom and beyond. Today, WTEF is a leader in the best practice of providing academic enrichment, supplemented by tennis and life skills instruction, as a means for developing the skills necessary to achieve academic and personal success. WTEF seeks to improve the life prospects of DC area youth, particularly those from low-income communities, through tennis, educational, and community-building activities that teach discipline, build confidence, and improve academic performance.
About Legg Mason
Legg Mason is a global asset management firm, with $679 billion in assets under management at February 28, 2010. The Company provides active asset management in many major investment centers throughout the world. Legg Mason is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: LM). www.leggmason.com
About W Washington D.C.
W Washington D.C. opened its doors on July 8, 2009. The hotel features P.O.V. rooftop bar and terrace boasting spectacular views of the nation’s capital and a couture cocktail menu by New York-based Sasha Petraske; the city’s first Jean-George Vongerichten restaurant, J&G Steakhouse; and a Bliss® spa, providing guests and local loyalists with signature spa treatments,
a luxe nail lounge and the brand’s famous brownie buffet. Other amenities at W Washington D.C. include SWEAT state-of-the-art fitness center; WIRED business center; 24-hour in-room dining; and dry cleaning, laundry and valet services. All guestrooms and suites feature state-of-the-art entertainment options, including flat-screen LCD TV, docking station for MP3 players and Tivoli radio, fully wired technology, fully stocked Munchie Box (W Hotels’ re-interpretation of the traditional hotel Mini Bar), and the W signature bed with feather-top mattress, 350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down comforter for the ultimate urban escape. Located at 515 15th Street, NW, W Washington D.C. also offers the brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever® service promise, providing guests with whatever they want – from a private guided tour of the White House to private jet service from Reagan National – whenever they want it, as long as it’s legal!
About BEST
BEST is a unified full-service sports and entertainment company. Current clients include Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, Reggie Bush, DeAngelo Hall, Darren Sharper, 2009 AP Offensive Player of the Year Chris Johnson and 2009 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin; NBA All-Star Shawn Marion, 2009 NBA Lottery pick Ricky Rubio and 2009 NBA Sixth-Man of the Year Jason Terry; legendary ATP doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan, rising star Melanie Oudin, WTA #4 Caroline Wozniacki and WTA #6 Victoria Azarenka; top MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko; basketball legend Magic Johnson; boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, Jr.; entertainment personalities John Saunders, Jenn Brown and Matt Vasgersian. Media & Event properties include the US Open Tennis Championship, the French Open Tennis Championship, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, numerous US-based ATP tournaments, Rock ’n Racquets, the Boston Marathon, the Superstars Competition, Ice Wars, The Hall of Fame Showcase, the Men’s and Women’s Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships and experiential grassroots properties Hoop It Up, Kick It and Let It Fly. www.experienceBEST.com