Debut of Debut of Aquavit Grill & Raw Bar at Clarion Hotel Sign

Press release                                                                                                               Stockholm, 5 February 2008

Debut of Aquavit Grill & Raw Bar at Clarion Hotel Sign

In association with Clarion Hotel Sign, the famous New York restaurant Aquavit has created the Aquavit Grill & Raw Bar - a joint project that unites the bold ambitions of the hotel and Aquavit.

- Clarion Hotel Sign is a tribute to Scandinavia's legendary furniture designers, but it's just as great a pleasure to be able to boast a Scandinavian culinary icon," says Tobias Ekman, managing director of Clarion Hotel Sign.

Aquavit in New York recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary, and the word Aquavit - which is a type of alcoholic beverage in Scandinavia - has become almost synonymous with the restaurant in America. The Stockholm restaurant is the first Aquavit to be opened outside the USA, and there's definitely something quite New York about the concept.

- Aquavit in New York has always been about offering Scandinavian tastes in a way that suites international diners. Aquavit Grill & Raw Bar is based on the same idea, but it's also given us an opportunity to bring some exciting influences from New York back to Sweden. There will be a New York-inspired menu and an American brunch on Sundays," says Aquavit founder Håkan Swahn.

Another goal the hotel and restaurant share is to create something that's appropriate for more than just fine dining. Marcus Samuelsson, who runs the kitchen and is part-owner of Aquavit, thinks the restaurant's location at Clarion Hotel Sign has provided an opportunity to broaden the idea behind the restaurant. Aquavit Grill & Raw Bar offers a large menu featuring everything from cocktail sides from the Raw Bar for after work to a three-course dinner inspired by the New York restaurant.

- For me, the best thing about New York is the spontaneity and accessibility. When we were working on the menu, I wanted the idea of a spontaneous visit to the restaurant to be just as appealing to Stockholmers as to the hotel guests. A hotel is a meeting place, and our menu has to reflect this, Marcus says.

Aquavit Grill & Raw Bar opens on 5 February at Clarion Hotel Sign.

For more information, please contact:

Tobias Ekman, MD, Clarion Hotel Sign, +46 (0)709 39 35 45, tobias.ekman@choice.se

Håkan Swahn, MD, Aquavit, +1 (212) 957-8885, mobile +1 (917) 770-3924, h.swahn@aquavit.org

Heléne Airijoki, Micael Bindefeld AB, +46 (0)707 14 67 00, helene@bindefeldab.se

For high res pictures, please visit  www.clarionsign.se/pressbilder.asp.

Aquavit is the only internationally recognised restaurant outside Scandinavia that is devoted to Swedish cuisine. The restaurant was founded in 1987 by Håkan Swahn and has since become - with the help of star chef Marcus Samuelsson - a shining star in New York's restaurant scene. New York Magazine recently named Aquavit as one of New York's ten best restaurants and awarded it four stars - an honour shared by only a handful of other establishments.

Håkan Swahn also runs the restaurant consultancy Townhouse Restaurant Group together with Marcus Samuelsson. In addition to Aquavit, the company and its partners run the AQ Café, a lunch place that serves some of Aquavit's most popular dishes in a more relaxed atmosphere, Riingo, a Japanese-American restaurant, and August a European neighbourhood inn located in New York's West Village.

Choice Hotels Scandinavia ASA is the Nordic region's largest hotel chain, with over 155 hotels. The chain markets five brands: Comfort Hotel, Quality Hotel, Quality Resort, Clarion Collection and Clarion Hotel. The company strives to be seen as the obvious choice of hotel for business and leisure travellers and conference organisers. Choice Hotels Scandinavia is part of Choice Hotels International, with over 5,000 hotels in 42 countries.

For more information on Aquavit Grill & Raw Bar and Clarion Hotel Sign, visit www.clarionsign.com

For more information on Choice Hotels Scandinavia, visit www.choice.se