Wingate Inns ends 1996 with over 200 signed franchise agreements and makes strides into Canada

PARSIPPANY, N.J / Jan. 29, 1997-- President of New Midmarket Hotel Chain Claims a Development Record

Wingate Inns, L.P. announced today that in its first 20 months it executed more than 200 franchise agreements.

Building on an impressive franchise sales year in 1995, Wingate Inns entered into 155 franchise agreements, representing approximately 15,000 rooms, for the year ended Dec. 31, 1996. Wingate Inns also signed agreements for the development of the brand's first three international hotels outside the United States, which will be built in western Canada. Approximately 50 hotels are expected to open in North America during the next year.

"Since our introduction, we've sold more than 200 franchises, which we believe is an industry record for a new brand launch," Wingate Inns President and Chief Operating Officer Fred Mosser said. "In addition, we opened our first four hotels and positioned ourselves to enter the Canadian market.

"We firmly believe that this momentum is due to the winning combination of the support of HFS Incorporated, a dedicated sales force under the direction of Don Raider, senior vice president of franchise sales for Wingate, and a uniquely superior, and timely, product."

Since its inception in April 1995, Wingate Inn executives have claimed consistency of product and technology as the brand's competitive advantages, requiring all franchisees to meet strict systemwide product standards and offer technologically advanced, business-oriented amenities at an all- inclusive price.

Guest response to the product has been strong. Bill DeMoise, a business traveler who stayed at the Greenville, South Carolina Wingate Inn hotel, wrote in a letter to John Pharr, president of Strand Development which manages the Greenville Wingate Inn hotel, "Traveling as much as I do and being disappointed by the design of these so called 'business traveler rooms,' I was impressed [with Wingate Inn's features] to say the least." He went on to list the 19 amenities or services that impressed him the most, including the cordless bedside phone and the complimentary use of the business center.

"The reaction from developers has been just as good, if not better," said Mosser. "We have powerhouse development groups like Supertel Hospitality, Snavely Hotel Group, Phoenix Hospitality Group and Chartwell Leisure, and 26 others who collectively have committed to more than 45 percent of our system by developing between two and nine Wingate Inn hotels each, which says much about the caliber of our franchisees."

Wingate Inns, which was introduced in April 1995 by HFS Incorporated, is an all-new-construction, limited-service hotel chain featuring state-of-the-art business amenities at a midmarket price. Four Wingate Inn hotels are open and operating in Alpharetta, Georgia; Greenville, South Carolina; Madison, Wisconsin, and Sevierville, Tennessee. The chain's toll-free reservation center can be reached at 1.800.228.1000.