Posted June 2004

With a career that spans 40 years in the hospitality industry and an impressive list of world-renown four-star and full service hotels to manage, David Falor, CEO of Falor Companies, is embarking on what is one of Chattanooga’s most intense restoration projects to make the new Sheraton Read House Chattanooga a reality. Spearheading the $11 million project, Falor’s unique approach and expertise makes him a natural candidate to bring the dated Read House back to the status of Chattanooga’s premier luxury hotel.

There have been many attempts by other companies in the past two decades to renovate the aging Read House, but no one has succeeded in the effort. When asked what makes this venture different, Falor explained, "First of all, this project is 100 percent funded, all the money is in place. None of the other companies did what we are doing. We are completely gutting the hotel – replacing everything from carpet, beds, furniture and fixtures. We’re basically getting rid of everything but the shell and starting over. It’s not a renovation, this is going to be a completely new hotel."

When the renovation is complete this summer, the Sheraton Read House Chattanooga will feature 139 full-sized suites including two Presidential Suites, three spacious Hospitality Suites, 110 oversized guest rooms, and numerous Spa Suites complete with large private whirlpools. Each suite will offer marble bathrooms, complimentary high-speed Internet access and the new Sheraton guest room design that was created to meet the specific needs of business and leisure travelers alike.

The new expansion and renovation will also include downtown Chattanooga’s first Starbucks Coffee House, the only Porter’s Steak House in the region, a new extensive exercise facility and a zero edge indoor pool with cascading waterfalls.

The Falor Companies specializes in breathing new life into failing hotels. With years of experience under his belt on other renovation project both completed and in the works, Falor is able to take this expertise and apply it to the Read House. "Our expertise with this type of project, the capable management team we’ve employed at a local level and the trust that comes with the Sheraton brand are all working together to ensure success."

"We are proud to be representing the historic Read House under the Sheraton brand," said Norman MacLeod, Executive Vice President, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. "We understand the importance of pairing the rich history of our brand with the time-honored tradition of a classic hotel. Sheraton has a very loyal customer base and the addition of the Sheraton Read House Chattanooga will be a fine example of the brand’s hospitality and quality of service."

Since 1983 the Falor Companies has been a hospitality industry management leader. Specializing in hotel management, asset management, financing hotels and consulting, David Falor and his staff also own and operate the Porter’s Steakhouse and Cigar Bar chain. Falor Companies manages several luxury and full-service hotels including Cheeca Lodge and Spa in south Florida, Courtyard by Marriott on the Gulf in Key West, and Holiday Inns in St. Louis, Mo., Ft. Myers Beach, Fla., and Schaumburg, Ill.

"When I came into Chattanooga and saw the Read House, I was impressed by the historic structure and it’s prime location," said Falor. "This building has good bones, that is, good structure, but it isn’t anywhere near up to standards that business travelers demand. We’re starting to make changes now with service, cleanliness and dining improvements, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg compared to the total transformation to come."

The complete restoration began in mid January and is scheduled for completion in summer of 2004. The Read House has a long history as Chattanooga’s premier hotel, and has housed such notable guests as Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill. Built in 1926, the Sheraton Read House Chattanooga is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Special attention is being given to maintain the historic integrity of the building during the restoration and rebuilding.

"We are going to offer guests one of the finest lodging experiences anywhere in the Southeast," said Falor. "This completed hotel projects will mesh the history in this building with the state of the art and modern conveniences people have come to expect in a luxury hotel."

The Sheraton Read House will feature all of the Sheraton brand’s signature amenities and services including the Sheraton Service Promise, a service guarantee stating if you’re not satisfied, just tell us and we’ll take care of it. The hotel’s transformation to the Sheraton brand begins with the installation of the highly acclaimed Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bedsm in all of its guestrooms and suites. The newly-introduced Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed is a luxurious nine-layer custom designed bed that features an 11.5 inch thick, high coil count Sealy Posturepedic® Plush Top mattress, down and allergy sensitive pillows and crisp cotton sheets. In a nod to Sheraton’s classic aesthetic, the beds feature a selection of duvet patterns inspired by timeless tattersall checks, hound’s-tooth and pinstripe patterns in rich color tones.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 740 properties in more than 80 countries and 105,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwood.com.

Each Porter’s Steakhouse offers fine Chicago-style dining. Porter’s attention to detail is evident from their choice of the best steaks available and seafood is of uncompromising quality to the appetizers and side dishes carefully selected to complement our entrées. The Porter's philosophy is to serve delicious, simply prepared meals with the best available ingredients. The staff at each of our three locations is dedicated to serving guests a memorable meal every time they visit.

In addition to fine dining, each Porter's location provides expert catering and banquet services.

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is the leading business and economic development organization for the Chattanooga region. For over 100 years, the Chattanooga Chamber has provided community engagement and opportunities for businesses, large and small, including networking, business promotion, business discounts, and public policy advocacy, as well as leadership development and training opportunities.

In addition, the Chattanooga Chamber is a one-stop-shop for site selectors and business decision-makers considering investments and job creation projects in the Chattanooga region. The Chattanooga Chamber is also responsible for marketing Enterprise South Industrial Park, a top-tier industrial park that offers significant strategic business advantages. In addition, the Chattanooga Chamber administers the Chattanooga Hamilton County Business Development Center, the largest business incubator in the U.S. in terms of the number of start up companies it houses, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth, an innovative effort to nurture technology-based start-up companies.

As the first stop for people interested in moving to the Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Chamber provides a range of relocation information including demographics, informational videos, connections to Chattanooga Area jobs, and frequently asked questions.