ATLANTA – Bass Hotels & Resorts (BHR) today announced that it has entered into a multiple franchise agreement with Westmont Hospitality (Westmont) that will result in up to 20 hotels converting to the Holiday Inn brand before the end of 2000. The agreement is the largest of its kind for the brand in Europe and, when combined with the 11 existing Holiday Inn hotels in the country, propels Holiday Inn to the position of number two international mid-market hotel brand in Italy.

The agreement will add over 2,500 rooms to the Holiday Inn portfolio and involves five Clarine hotels with the balance being Agip properties. Located primarily in Italy, and with one in Hungary, most of the hotels converted to the Holiday Inn brand in September, with the remainder scheduled to join the brand by the end of next year. Westmont and its investment partner are spending almost US$18 million in the refurbishment of these properties over the next two years.

Tom Oliver, chairman and CEO for Bass Hotels & Resorts commented: "Italy is one of Holiday Inn's key European target markets and we are very excited about this agreement. The brand's existing strong reputation in Italy will be enhanced by this new quality distribution, and additional projects already in the pipeline will ensure we continue to build on this strong foundation. Westmont is one of our key partners and this deal further strengthens our very strong relationship."

Kingsley Seevaratnam, executive vice president Europe for Westmont Hospitality, added, "We are very pleased to have entered into this very significant multiple franchise agreement with Bass Hotels & Resorts, which will make the Holiday Inn brand a significant player in Italy. Along with other hotels, Westmont already owns and operates 35 Holiday Inn hotels in Belgium, France and the UK. With the addition of this portfolio of up to 20 hotels, our group becomes the largest Bass Hotels & Resorts' franchisee in the Europe region."

The locations of the new Holiday Inn hotels in Italy include Venice, Pisa, Turin, Rome, Piacenza, Milan, Trieste, Palermo, Siracusa, Verona, Catania, Bologna and Florence.

Bass Hotels & Resorts

Bass Hotels & Resorts(SM), the hotel business of Bass PLC BAS of the United Kingdom, operates or franchises more than 2,700 hotels and 450,000 guest rooms in more than 90 countries and territories. The following service marks are owned by Bass Hotels & Resorts Inc., its subsidiaries or affiliates: Holiday Inn®, Crowne Plaza®, Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday Inn Select(r), Holiday Inn Garden Court(SM), Holiday Inn SunSpree® Resorts, Staybridge Suites(SM) by Holiday Inn, Holidex®, Holidome®, Priority Club® Worldwide, e.space®, Inter-Continental®, Forum®, Six Continents Club®, Corporate Rate Portfolio® and Global Partner Hotels and Resorts®.

Bass Hotels & Resorts offers information and reservations capability on its pages on the World Wide Web of the Internet – www.holiday-inn.com for Holiday Inn hotels, for Holiday Inn Express hotels, www.crowneplaza.com for Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, and www.interconti.com for Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts and www.staybridge.com for Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn.

Westmont Hospitality

One of the largest privately owned hotel investment and management companies, Westmont has interests in and manages over 400 hotels worldwide.

Melanie Brandman
Bass Hotels & Resorts
212-983-7145
IHG