Ready, Aim, Fire: Grand Military Salute at Historic Alabama Resort

    /24-7PressRelease/ - POINT CLEAR, AL, March 20, 2008 - On Saturday, March 15, 2008, the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa fired their inaugural cannon. With over 200 spectators present, it began a new tradition of shooting the cannon at 4 p.m. daily to salute the country's military.

Since opening its doors more than 160 years ago, the Grand Hotel has played an important role in society and with the military. A refreshing alternative to standard Gulf Shores beach hotels, the Grand Hotel was originally built in 1847 as a two story building with 40 rooms. Over the years, the hotel has hosted guests from American Presidents to leaders from around the world to generations of families from across the country. Guests originally traveled by steamboats and docked at what is now the Marina.

During times of war, the Grand Hotel was very important to the military, and was used as a hospital during the Civil War. During World War II this Alabama beach hotel was used by the U.S. Air Force for training.

Each afternoon the Grand Hotel's cannon will be fired to salute today's military and those who have passed through this historic hotel over the years. The cannon is similar to the ones used across the country when the Grand Hotel first opened in 1847.

Every day a procession around the historic Grand Hotel grounds starts in the hotel lobby and concludes with the firing of the cannon at approximately 4:00 p.m. to give a grand military salute to the troops. An afternoon tea immediately follows the cannon firing, daily.

About Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa
The Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa offers a departure from the standard Gulf Shores resorts. Boasting two challenging golf courses as part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, as well as a 20,000 square foot European-style spa, an array of dining options, a sizeable marina for sailboats, yachts, and fishing boats, as well as a refreshing pool complex and a delightful beach, this Gulf Coast resort has everything necessary for a restful retreat. For more information or to make a reservation, call 251-928-9201 or visit http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ptlal-grand-hotel-marriott-resort-golf-club-and-spa/.

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