IHR Interstate Hotels & Resorts,

Seven European Hotels Now Under Management Contract with Interstate ARLINGTON, Va., March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Interstate Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:IHR), one of the nation's largest independent hotel management companies, today announced that it has opened the 150-room Ghent Marriott Hotel in Belgium under a long-term management contract agreement. It is Interstate's first managed hotel in Belgium and one of seven European hotels under contract. The newly constructed hotel is owned by Granit Korenlei, NV, a partnership between New York developer Harry Gross and Ghent developer Marc Wybraeke. "This is an architecturally unique property with a world-renowned brand that will appeal to both business and leisure travelers," said Thomas F. Hewitt, Interstate chief executive officer. "Belgium is our third European country where we manage a hotel and our seventh European contract, and we are actively seeking to expand our international management portfolio. We think our size, proven operating systems and successful international track record make us an extremely attractive option for growing numbers of hotel owners with international interests." "We have a long-standing relationship with Interstate, which successfully manages three properties for us in New York City," Gross said. "We have the utmost confidence in Interstate's ability to adapt their proven management practices to international markets." "The Ghent Marriott Hotel is a very special property, and we believe Interstate is uniquely qualified to help it reach its maximum operating potential," Wybraeke added. Located in the heart of the medieval city of Ghent, Belgium's fourth-largest city, the 150-room Ghent Marriott fronts onto one of the city's many canals and has retained portions of four centuries-old townhouses as part of its structure, with the new hotel built behind them. Among the hotel's amenities are a lobby lounge under an impressive glass dome, a bar and casual restaurant, a fitness center, a business center, 24-hour room service, and in-room mini-bars. The surrounding area includes retail outlets, offices and such nearby tourist attractions as the Design Museum of Ghent; St. Bavo's Cathedral, built in the 15th century; the famous Museum of Contemporary Art; the Castle of the Counts; and the Belfry. "With our charming canal-front setting, unique architecture and proximity to the University of Ghent and major tourist attractions, we expect to attract a large number of leisure travelers," said Paul Suy, general manager. "We also offer a number of amenities that will appeal to the business traveler, including a downtown location, onsite garage parking and 4,500 square feet of flexible meeting space. Our goal is for this unique property to become the meeting destination of choice for Ghent." Contact information for the hotel is as follows: GHENT MARRIOTT HOTEL Korenlei 10 B-9000 Ghent Telephone: +32 (0)9 233 93 93 Fax: +32 (0)9 233 93 94 E-mail: Web site: http://www.marriottghent.com/ As of February 28, 2007 Interstate Hotels & Resorts operated 204 hospitality properties with more than 46,000 rooms in 36 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Russia. For more information about Interstate Hotels & Resorts, visit the company's Web site: http://www.ihrco.com/. This press release contains "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, about Interstate Hotels & Resorts, including those statements regarding future operating results and the timing and composition of revenues, among others, and statements containing words such as "expects," "believes" or "will," which indicate that those statements are forward-looking. Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, including the volatility of the national economy, economic conditions generally and the hotel and real estate markets specifically, the war in Iraq, international and geopolitical difficulties or health concerns, governmental actions, legislative and regulatory changes, availability of debt and equity capital, interest rates, competition, weather conditions or natural disasters, supply and demand for lodging facilities in our current and proposed market areas, and the company's ability to manage integration and growth. Additional risks are discussed in Interstate Hotels & Resorts' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Interstate Hotels & Resorts' annual report on Form 10-K as amended for the year ended December 31, 2006. DATASOURCE: Interstate Hotels & Resorts CONTACT: Jerry Daly or Carol McCune, +1-703-435-6293, both of Daly Gray Public Relations Web site: http://www.marriottghent.com/

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