Mount Washington Hotel up for auction to benefit Katrina victims

Mount Washington Hotel up for auction to benefit Katrina victims{mosimage}
BRETTON WOODS, N.H. The Mount Washington Hotel is auctioning the entire hotel for one night to raise funds to aid Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. This “Castle for a Cause” auction will award the winner with a Grand Hotel at the foot of the Presidential Mountain range for the night of November 9, 2005, to share with friends, family, or a company function as he or she chooses.

The Hotel can accommodate up to 500 people in its 200 rooms. To accommodate scheduling for the highest auction bidder, there is also the option to redeem nights on an as needed basis. The equivalent of the 200 room nights can be spent any non-holiday period before May 15, 2006, based on availability.

From September 14-24, 2005, the online auction will be featured on eBay Giving Works powered by MissionFish, the dedicated program for charity listings where bidders can purchase items that support nonprofit organizations. Valued at $50,000, the full amount of the winning bid will be donated to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, which will enable the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those who need help.

“The Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods is a superb retreat for any kind of group looking to escape to the mountains, whether for business or pleasure,” said Joel Bedor, resort president. “We hope this auction will help our fellow citizens rebuild the gulf coast area to its former vibrancy and stability. As a nationally recognized historic landmark, we were greatly concerned with the damage to the historic fabric of New Orleans and the gulf coast area that many families and communities of that area depend on.”

The Hotel has been the site for some highly illustrious company outings since the Grand Dame hosted its very first convention in 1902, a gathering of the Edison Electric Companies, presided over by Mr. Thomas Edison himself. More recently, the Resort hosted a group of top executives from Citibank, who heard a keynote address by former president George Bush, and The Mount Washington was chosen as a finalist for a G-8 Conference.

Located in the heart of New Hampshire?s White Mountains, The Mount Washington Hotel has been welcoming guests since 1902. Sparkling white towers capped with red-roofs rise majestically against a backdrop of the northeast’s highest summits. This National Historic Landmark, an icon recognized around the world, was the setting for the Bretton Woods Monetary Conference in 1944, thus becoming the birthplace of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. In keeping with over a century of tradition, The Mount Washington offers guests a vast array of recreational and leisure activities including golf, tennis, horseback riding, carriage and sleigh rides, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, ice skating, snow tubing, musical entertainment, shopping, award-winning family programs and alpine and cross country skiing at Bretton Woods – New Hampshire’s largest ski area. Extensive renovation and restoration efforts during the 1990s revived the hotel’s rich Edwardian atmosphere. Graciously appointed with Tiffany stained glass, gleaming native hardwood floors and elaborate plaster friezes, the grand colonnaded lobby is as welcoming as it is lavish. Although elegance and grandeur are the hallmarks of The Mount Washington Hotel, fine hospitality is why guests return again and again. A warm, friendly staff is at the ready to ensure that every expectation is met and exceeded.

For more information about The Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods, please call 877-873-0626 or visit www.mtwashington.com.

-press release