Trump Organization Closes on Miami's Doral Resort

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The Donald is now in control of Doral.

The Donald, of course, is Donald Trump. And Doral is famed Doral Golf Resort & Spa in the heart of Miami.

The Trump Organization officially took over Doral when it announced June 11 the New York-based group closed on its purchase of the iconic 800-acre resort. Meanwhile, the Trump Hotel Collection has assumed management of Doral's five championship golf courses, including the legendary Blue Monster.

Trump Hotel Collection will waste no time in restoring Doral to its past grandeur by investing more than $200 million in capital improvements to the over the next 18 months. Nearly every part of the resort will be touched, including its 700 guestrooms, vast ballrooms and meeting facilities, and sprawling spa.

"Every year, my father and mother would take me to Doral for a weekend," said Donald J. Trump, chairman and president of the Trump Organization. "It was the ultimate treat for me. It was beautiful."

"My ambition is to bring Doral back to its first 20 years and then top it by a wide margin. When the renovation is complete, Doral will be the greatest resort anywhere in the country. With almost 800 acres in the middle of Miami - and home to the Blue Monster and four other soon-to-be-great courses - nothing will be able to compete with it. This amount of land in this prime a location can never again be assembled."

Noted golf course architect Gil Hanse will work directly with Trump and the PGA Tour leadership to completely rebuild the TPC Blue Monster and the other courses. Each year, Doral plays host to the world's best professional golfers as part of the PGA Tour's WGC-Cadillac Championship.

"We are very excited to have the opportunity to renovate the Blue Monster Course at Doral," Hanse said. "Few courses on Tour can claim such a long history and can span the generations of Tour players from (Jack) Nicklaus and (Arnold) Palmer to (Tiger) Woods and (Phil) Mickelson. We intend to focus on these traditions as we seek to update the course to meet the demands of modern day tournament conditions. We are also pleased to be matching our attention to detail in golf course design with The Trump Organization, with its similar passion for detail, as it seeks to revitalize the entire Doral resort."

Trump Hotel Collection has retained WATG and Wimberly Interiors to reimagine the architecture and design with a fresh, relevant vision that capitalizes on Doral Golf Resort & Spa's prestigious heritage. Donald Trump - along with his daughter, Executive Vice President Ivanka Trump - will closely oversee all aspects of the renovation.

"The architectural inspiration for the resort is Spanish Revival, with Floridian details and motifs," explained Mark Yoshizaki, vice president of WATG and the lead architect. "The property's facade will be enhanced with coquina stone, elegant outdoor walkways and decorative tile work. We are honored to once again collaborate with Mr. Trump, Ivanka and their team as they expand the Trump brand to this strategic asset, which will be synergistic with his hospitality and golf investments around the globe."

The property will remain fully operational during the renovation, which is expected to conclude in Fall 2013.

"We are thrilled about this tremendous opportunity to transform Doral with a fresh and relevant vision, mingling the tradition of the Trump brand with the casual elegance of Miami as a destination," said Margaret McMahon, managing director of Wimberly Interiors. "The design vision is sophisticated, tailored and chic, including warm Floridian colors and bold details."

The complete renovation will dramatically elevate all aspects of the resort, with luxurious hotel rooms and a greatly enhanced guest experience throughout the public spaces. Renovation of the main building, lodges, conference areas, spa and Champions Pavilion will set a new tone for the resort, while the member's clubhouse will be redesigned to include vastly upgraded facilities and amenities. All four golf courses will be completely rebuilt, and the driving range will be lengthened and expanded to more than twice its current size, making it a world-class facility befitting of the resort and its historic golf legacy.

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