Print Press Release

March 15, 2006 Media Contact: Kelly Chamberlin Chamberlin Public Relations 415.336.4332 kelly@chamberlinpr.com HOTEL UNION SQUARE HONORS FAMOUS SCRIBE DASHIELL HAMMETT First-Ever Dashiell Hammett Suite Opens San Francisco, CA - Hotel Union Square, San Francisco's original boutique hotel, just completed the world's only Dashiell Hammett Suite, dedicated to the celebrated author best known for his novel "The Maltese Falcon" (1930). The famous scribe loved the hotel so much that he booked his bride-to-be Josephine Dolan in a suite on the night before their 1921 wedding. San Francisco-based artist and interior designer Lisa Compagno meticulously created the "Dashiell Hammett Suite," treating guests to a history lesson in the life of the famed scribe. From the two stainless steel eyes hanging in the entrance (a reference to Hammett's short story "The Girl with the Silver Eyes") to the hand towels adorned with Hammett's image in the bathroom, no detail has been overlooked in this large corner suite. Special touches include: an antique suitcase filled with Hammett books; an old fashioned typewriter; a collage dedicated to Hammett books and movies; black and white photos of Hammett's wife and daughters; a vintage-style radio; and a mural of the shadow of "The Thin Man." Born in Maryland in 1894, Samuel "Dashiell" Hammett dropped out of school at the age of fourteen. Over the next several years Hammett held a series of menial jobs until 1915 when he became a detective at Pinkerton National Detective Agency, located in San Francisco's James Flood Building. In 1922, Hammett began his writing career, recreating on paper his real-life experiences as a former detective. From 1922 to1934, Hammett produced several short stories and five novels including: "The Thin Man"; "Blood Money"; "Red Harvest"; "The Dain Curse"; and "The Glass Key." Today, Hammett is regarded as the founding father of the "hard-boiled" genre, as well as being credited for elevating detective fiction to the level of literature. Hotel Union Square was originally constructed as the Golden West Hotel in 1913 for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, which ran from February 20 to December 4, 1915. In the 1950s, the hotel was renamed the Golden State Hotel. Personality Hotels purchased the building in 1980 and opened the 131-room Hotel Union Square in 1982. About Personality Hotels Established in 1982, Personality Hotels is San Francisco's original boutique hotel company. From a quaint European-style suite to a zenful night's sleep amid sounds of a tropical rain forest, Personality Hotels can oblige. Celebrating the unique personality in all of us, Personality Hotels consists of an eclectic collection of five San Francisco boutique hotels including the flagship property sexy Hotel Diva, vivid Hotel Metropolis, authentic Hotel Union Square, grand Kensington Park Hotel and the timeless Steinhart Hotel. Located in the center of the action, all Personality Hotels are within walking distance of Union Square shopping, theatres and restaurants. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.personalityhotels.com or call 800.553.1900.