Extended Stay America, Inc. Releases 2nd Quarter, 2001 Financial Report

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Extended Stay America, Inc. ESA, a leading provider of extended stay lodging, today reported the results of its operations for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2001. Excluding the impact of costs related to the relocation of the Company's headquarters, net income for the second quarter was $23.1 million, $0.24 per diluted share, an increase of 9% when compared with the second quarter of 2000.

Revenue for the second quarter was $143.1 million, an increase of 7% compared to the second quarter of 2000. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased to $74.6 million (52% of revenue) for the quarter, excluding the headquarters relocation costs, an increase of 6% compared to the second quarter of 2000. Property level EBITDA, including 33 hotels that were open for less than one year at the beginning of the quarter, was 60% of revenue or $86.4 million for the quarter, compared to $81.3 million, 61% of revenue, for the same quarter of the previous year. Property level EBITDA does not include corporate operating and site selection expenses of $11.8 million (8.2% of revenue) for the quarter compared to $11.1 million (8.3% of revenue) for the second quarter of 2000.

The Company opened 5 EXTENDED STAYAMERICA Efficiency Studios hotels during the quarter resulting in a total of 405 operating hotels (39 Crossland Economy Studios, 272 EXTENDED STAYAMERICA Efficiency Studios, and 94 StudioPLUS Deluxe Studios) as of June 30, 2001. In addition, the Company had 38 hotels under construction (37 EXTENDED STAYAMERICA Efficiency Studios and 1 StudioPLUS Deluxe Studios) as of June 30, 2001. The Company expects to open four hotels in the third quarter and eleven hotels in the fourth quarter for a total of 28 hotels during the year with total costs of approximately $250 million. The Company expects to increase it's investment in new hotels to approximately $350 million for 2002.

As of June 30, 2001, the Company had invested approximately $2.2 billion in the 405 open hotels and had invested approximately $150 million in hotels under development. The Company had cash balances of approximately $8.6 million and had outstanding loans of $1.02 billion. The Company issued $300 million in senior subordinated notes in June 2001 and used the proceeds to reduce amounts outstanding under its bank credit facilities. The Company has a commitment for $900 million of new bank credit facilities which will provide approximately $200 million of additional development capital and funds to retire its existing credit facilities, thereby extending the maturity of its bank credit facilities for six years. The Company expects to complete this refinancing in July 2001. In connection with the refinancing, the Company expects to record a charge of $10 million (before income taxes) for the unamortized loan costs associated with the existing bank credit facilities.

The Company announced on May 18, 2001 that it will relocate its headquarters to Spartanburg, SC. As a result, the Company recognized costs associated with the relocation of $4.4 million during the second quarter. These costs include approximately $2.4 million in non-cash costs associated with the write-off of leasehold improvements and the valuation of stock options for employees that will terminate employment as a result of the relocation. The Company expects to record additional costs related to the relocation of approximately $4.1 million during the third quarter of 2001, consisting primarily of severance and relocation costs. The Company believes that these costs will be offset by governmental incentives and reduced operating costs which will be realized in future years.

The Company realized an overall increase of 1% in REVPAR (revenue per available room) with average occupancies of 79% and average weekly room rates of $321 for the second quarter of 2001, as compared to average occupancies of 83% and average weekly room rates of $302 for the second quarter of 2000. Average occupancy rates for Crossland, EXTENDED STAYAMERICA, and StudioPLUS were 78%, 79%, and 78%, respectively, while average weekly room rates were $222, $332, and $344, respectively, for the second quarter of 2001.

Comparable hotels, including the 305 properties opened for at least one year at the beginning of 2000, realized the following percentage changes in the components of REVPAR for the second quarter of 2001 as compared with the second quarter of 2000:

                                 EXTENDED
                     Crossland  STAYAMERICA  StudioPLUS  Total
                     ---------  -----------  ----------  
Comparable Hotels       33          195          77       305
Occupancy             (4.8)%       (5.3)%      (4.1)%    (5.0)%
Average Weekly Rate    4.7%         2.6%       (1.4)%     2.0%
REVPAR                (0.3)%       (2.8)%      (5.5)%    (3.1)%

The Company believes that the percentage changes in the components of REVPAR for the Crossland and StudioPLUS brands differ significantly from the EXTENDED STAYAMERICA brand primarily as a result of the number and geographic dispersion of the comparable hotels.

The Company believes that the declines in occupancy experienced in the second quarter are consistent with the overall lodging industry and are a result of the slowing US economy. If demand for lodging continues at the rates experienced during May and June of this year, the company expects that it would continue to experience declines in REVPAR when compared to the prior year of 3% to 5% for the remainder of the year. In this event, the Company would expect annual earnings (excluding headquarters relocation costs and charges associated with the refinancing) to be in the range of $0.76 to $0.80 per diluted share.

George D. Johnson, Jr., CEO, commented: "Despite the slowing of the US economy, our business remains very profitable at current occupancy rates. Our operating results are consistent with the business plan we established over five years ago, as evidenced by the 60% property level operating margins achieved this quarter. Our products continue to be well received by our customers and our capital structure allows us to continue to strengthen our leadership position in the extended-stay segment by developing more hotels to serve our customers. As a result, we believe we will be positioned to benefit from increases in demand accompanying improvements in the economy."

Certain statements and information included in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Additional discussion of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from management's projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations is contained in the Company's SEC filings.

                       EXTENDED STAY AMERICA, INC.
       Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
                  (In thousands, except per share data)

                           Three Months Ended       Six Months Ended
                           ------------------       
                           June 30,    June 30,    June 30,   June 30,
                             2001       2000         2001       2000
                           --------    --------    --------   

Revenue...................$ 143,112   $ 133,236   $ 277,527  $ 247,176
Property operating
 expenses.................   56,694      51,972     113,533    102,903
                           --------    --------    --------   
Property operating
 income...................   86,418      81,264     163,994    144,273
Corporate operating and
 property management
  expenses................   11,773      11,070      23,399     21,983
Headquarters relocation
 costs....................    4,426                   4,426
                           --------    --------    --------   
Income before interest,
 income taxes, depreciation,
 amortization and cumulative
 effect of accounting
  change..................   70,219      70,194     136,169    122,290
Depreciation and
 amortization.............   17,745      16,357      35,287     32,507
Interest expense, net.....   18,394      18,420      38,092     35,564
                           --------    --------    --------   
Income before income taxes
 and cumulative effect of
  accounting change.......   34,080      35,417      62,790     54,219
Provision for income
 taxes....................   13,632      14,168      25,115     21,689
                           --------    --------    --------   
Net income before cumulative
 effect of accounting
  change..................   20,448      21,249      37,675     32,530
Cumulative effect of change
 in accounting for derivatives,
 net of income tax benefit
  of $466.................                             (669)
                           --------    --------    --------   
Net income................  $20,448     $21,249     $37,006    $32,530
                           ========    ========    ========   ========

Net income per common
 share - Basic:
  Net income before
   cumulative effect of
    accounting change.....    $0.22       $0.22       $0.40      $0.34
  Cumulative effect of
   accounting change......                            (0.01)
                           --------    --------    --------   
Net income................    $0.22       $0.22       $0.39      $0.34
                           ========    ========    ========   ========

Net income per common
 share - Diluted:
  Net income before
   cumulative effect of
    accounting change.....    $0.21       $0.22       $0.38      $0.34
  Cumulative effect of
   accounting change......
                           --------    --------    --------   
Net income................    $0.21       $0.22       $0.38      $0.34
                           ========    ========    ========   ========

Weighted average shares:
  Basic...................   94,773      95,232      95,256     95,432
  Effect of dilutive
   options................    3,122         677       3,128        502
                           --------    --------    --------   
  Diluted.................   97,895      95,909      98,384     95,934
                           ========    ========    ========   ========
Finance Finance

Extended Stay America is the leading mid-priced extended stay hotel brand family in the US, with more than 650 hotels. Committed to delivering value and genuine goodness to every guest at every location, the Extended Stay America brand family includes Extended Stay America Premier Suites, Extended Stay America Suites, and Extended Stay America Select Suites.