FelCor's Third Quarter FFO $0.44 Per Share - Group Achieved 65 Percent Occupancy For The Third Quarter

IRVING, Texas, FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated FCH, one of the nation's largest hotel real estate investment trusts (REITs), today reported operating results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2002.

FelCor's third quarter 2002 recurring Funds From Operations ("FFO") was $29.2 million, or $0.44 per share. FFO for the same period last year totaled $33.1 million, or $0.50 per share. Third quarter 2002 recurring Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization, and other non-cash charges ("EBITDA"), totaled $77.1 million, compared to $80.1 million in the third quarter of 2001. The Company reported a net loss applicable to common stockholders of $13.8 million, or a loss per share of $0.26, compared to the third quarter 2001 net loss of $31.9 million, or a loss per share of $0.60. Included in the prior year loss was $24 million of costs associated with the terminated merger with MeriStar Hospitality Corporation. The reported FFO and EBITDA for the quarter are consistent with the low end of the Company's previously provided guidance.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2002, FFO was $104.2 million, or $1.56 per share, compared to the same period last year of $169.8 million, or $2.55 per share. Assuming the 88 leases acquired on July 1, 2001, had been acquired on January 1, 2001, pro forma FFO would have been $174.3 million. EBITDA for the nine months was $248.9 million, compared to $308.8 million for the same period last year, and $313.3 million for the same period last year on a pro forma basis. Net loss applicable to common stockholders for the nine months was $19.8 million, compared to a prior year net loss of $28.5 million and pro forma prior year net income of $6.7 million. The prior year nine months net loss reflected $36.6 million of lease termination expense associated with the acquisition of its hotel leases and $25 million of costs related to the terminated MeriStar merger.

Total revenues were $331.6 million and $1.0 billion for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2002, respectively, compared to $337.8 million and $898.1 million for the same periods in 2001. Pro forma revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2001, were $1.1 billion.

Revenue per available room ("RevPAR") for July decreased 7.3 percent, August decreased 7.4 percent and September increased 10.7 percent, compared to the same months in the prior year. The positive RevPAR for September was FelCor's first month of increased hotel portfolio RevPAR, compared to the corresponding prior year period, since February 2001. FelCor's total hotel portfolio RevPAR for the third quarter was 2.5 percent below that of the same period in 2001. For the quarter, occupied rooms increased 2.2 percent over the same period of the prior year, but average daily rate ("ADR") decreased by 4.6 percent.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2002, RevPAR decreased 10.9 percent compared to the same period of 2001. For the first nine months of 2002, occupied rooms decreased 4.9 percent and ADR decreased 6.3 percent, compared to the same period in 2001.

"The weak economy and existing political uncertainties continue to adversely affect the lodging industry. In spite of these negative factors, our hotel portfolio achieved 65 percent occupancy for the third quarter," said Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr., FelCor's President and CEO. "Looking ahead, as the economy recovers and lodging demand improves, FelCor is well positioned to benefit from an improvement in industry fundamentals."

The operating margin for FelCor's consolidated portfolio was 31.5 percent during the third quarter of 2002, and represented a decline of 20 basis points compared to the same period last year. For the nine months ended September 30, 2002, the portfolio operating margin was 33.6 percent, and represented a decline of 190 basis points compared to the same pro forma period in 2001. The reduction in operating margin is principally attributed to the decrease in ADR between the periods. However, FelCor continues to work closely with its brand managers to control hotel operating costs. The Company has been successful in reducing hotel operating costs to partially offset the effect of the decline in ADR.

Included in the net loss for the quarter was a $1.7 million expense for abandoned deal costs related to the Company's pursuit of a large portfolio acquisition. FelCor was unable to reach mutually acceptable pricing and terms with the seller as a result of the uncertain operating environment and softening capital markets.

Capital Structure

At September 30, 2002, FelCor had $93 million in cash and cash equivalents, and had no borrowings outstanding under its $615 million unsecured line of credit. At quarter end, FelCor had $1.9 billion of debt outstanding with a weighted average life of six years and a weighted average interest cost of 8.26 percent. The Company's debt maturities for the remainder of 2002 are $3.6 million and 2003 maturities are $35 million. Since December 31, 2001, FelCor has reduced its outstanding debt by $58 million.

"During these challenging times, we are focused on maintaining liquidity and optimizing the performance of our existing portfolio," said Richard J. O'Brien, FelCor's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "We plan to approach 2003 with an emphasis on the preservation of capital."

In the third quarter of 2002, the Company sold six non-strategic assets for aggregate net cash proceeds of approximately $6.1 million. FelCor sold its 71-room Holiday Inn® in Colby, Kansas, for net cash proceeds of $1.7 million. Also in the third quarter, FelCor sold four Holiday Inn®- branded hotels and one Hampton Inn® hotel in Kansas to a new joint venture, and received as consideration $4.4 million in cash, a preferred right to receive $6 million, and a 50 percent common equity interest in the venture.

In July 2002, FelCor acquired the 208-suite SouthPark Suite Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, for $14.5 million, and the 385-room Wyndham® Myrtle Beach Resort and Arcadian Shores Golf Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for $35.3 million. FelCor has converted the SouthPark Suite Hotel to a Doubletree Guest Suites® hotel, and the Wyndham Myrtle Beach will be renovated and converted to a Hilton® hotel. Both hotel acquisitions were funded from excess cash held on FelCor's balance sheet.

2002 Estimates

The uncertain operating environment, including recent geopolitical and consumer confidence concerns, continue to challenge the lodging industry's ability to forecast financial results. FelCor's RevPAR for the month of October is estimated to be approximately four to five percent above October 2001, which is below previous expectations. RevPAR is currently expected to increase during the fourth quarter of 2002, as compared to 2001, within a range of four to six percent. For the fourth quarter, the Company estimates FFO to be in the range of $0.22 to $0.27 per share and EBITDA to be in the range of $62 to $66 million. For the full year 2002, the Company estimates FFO per share to be between $1.78 and $1.83 and EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $311 to $315 million. FelCor's full year 2002 earnings expectations are based on an estimated RevPAR decline of approximately 7.5 to 8.5 percent.

The Company is currently expecting 2002 capital expenditures to range from $55 to $60 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2002, capital expenditures totaled $35 million.

FelCor's common dividend will continue to be determined each quarter based upon the operating results of that quarter, economic conditions and other operating trends. FelCor declared a $0.15 common dividend per share for each of the first, second and third quarters of 2002.

"A decision regarding the declaration of a fourth quarter dividend will be made in December and will depend upon operating results for the quarter, the political environment and expectations regarding the economy," said Corcoran.

Beginning in the first quarter of 2003, FelCor plans to implement the expense recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123, "Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation," that is considered the preferable accounting method for stock- based compensation. The Company currently complies with SFAS No. 123 and discloses in its financial statement footnotes what the effect would have been of expensing the fair market value of stock option grants. In 2001, the pro forma additional compensation expense associated with stock option grants was about $272,000, or less than one cent per share.

FelCor has published its Third Quarter 2002 Supplemental Information, which provides additional corporate data, financial highlights and portfolio statistical data for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2002. Investors are encouraged to access the Supplemental Information on the Company's website at www.felcor.com , on its Investor Relations page in the "Financial Reports" section. The Supplemental Information also will be furnished upon request. Requests may be made by e-mail to [email protected] or by writing to Director of Investor Relations, FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated, 545 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 1300, Irving, Texas 75062.

FelCor is the only lodging REIT that owns a diversified portfolio of nationally-branded, upscale and full-service hotels managed by strategic brand managers such as Hilton Hotels, Six Continents Hotels, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. FelCor is competitively positioned to deliver superior shareholder returns through its strong management team, strategic brand manager alliances, diversified upscale and full-service hotels, value creation expertise, and financial strength. FelCor is the owner of the largest number of Embassy Suites®, Crowne Plaza®, Holiday Inn and independently owned Doubletree®- branded hotels. FelCor's portfolio is comprised of 183 hotels with nearly 50,000 rooms and it has a current market capitalization of approximately $2.9 billion. Additional information can be found on the Company's website at www.felcor.com .

The Company invites you to listen to FelCor's third quarter 2002 conference call on October 31, 2002, at 9:00 a.m. (Central Time). The conference call will be webcast simultaneously via the Company's website at www.felcor.com . Interested investors and other parties who wish to access the call may go to the Company's website and click on the conference call microphone icon on either the Investor Relations or FelCor News pages. In addition, a phone replay will be available from Thursday, October 31, 2002, at 12:00 p.m. (Central Time), through Friday, November 29, 2002, at 7:00 p.m. (Central Time), by dialing 888-442-3295 (access code is 6246). A recording of the call also will be archived and available at www.felcor.com .

With the exception of historical information, the matters discussed in this news release include "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Numerous risks and uncertainties, and the occurrence of future events, may cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. General economic conditions, including the timing and magnitude of any recovery from the current soft economy, future acts of terrorism, the availability of capital, and numerous other factors may affect future results, performance and achievements. These risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe our current expectations to be based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that actual results will not differ materially.

                    Consolidated Statements of Operations
                    (in thousands, except per share data)

                                                          Three Months
                                                      Ended September 30,

                                                      2002           2001
    Revenues:
      Hotel operating revenue:
        Room                                        $265,758       $271,419
        Food and beverage                             47,624         47,508
        Other operating departments                   17,847         18,259
      Retail space rental and other revenue              353            573
          Total revenues                             331,582        337,759

    Expenses:
      Hotel operating expenses:
        Room                                          69,217         70,832
        Food and beverage                             39,731         40,725
        Other operating departments                    8,505          8,348
      Other property operating costs                  92,553         92,989
      Management and franchise fees                   17,125         17,672
      Taxes, insurance and lease expense              33,082         31,438
      Corporate expenses                               2,577          2,937
      Depreciation                                    37,770         39,273
      Abandoned project costs                          1,663             
      Lease termination costs                            ---            378
      Merger termination costs                           ---         19,919
          Total operating expenses                   302,223        324,511

    Operating income                                  29,359         13,248
      Interest expense, net:
        Recurring financing                           40,794         39,803
        Merger related financing                         ---          4,126
      Loss on early extinguishment of debt               ---          1,045

    Loss before equity in income from
     unconsolidated entities, minority
     interests and gain on sale of assets            (11,435)       (31,726)
      Equity in income from unconsolidated
       entities                                        1,230            722
      Minority interests                               3,124          4,780
      Gain on sale of assets                             ---            462
    Net loss                                          (7,081)       (25,762)
      Preferred dividends                             (6,727)        (6,150)
    Net loss applicable to common stockholders      $(13,808)      $(31,912)

    Diluted per common share data:
      Net loss applicable to common stockholders      $(0.26)        $(0.60)
      Weighted average common shares outstanding      52,729         52,982


                    Consolidated Statements of Operations
                    (in thousands, except per share data)

                                         Nine Months Ended September 30,
                                                     Pro Forma     Actual
                                           2002      2001 (A)       2001
    Revenues:
      Hotel operating revenue:
        Room                            $800,349    $907,276    $ 636,762
        Food and beverage                154,704     171,438      100,658
        Other operating departments       51,614      58,894       43,049
      Percentage lease revenue               ---         ---      115,137
      Retail space rental and other
       revenue                             1,451       2,455        2,455
          Total revenues               1,008,118   1,140,063      898,061

    Expenses:
      Hotel operating expenses:
        Room                             200,564     218,048      154,236
        Food and beverage                121,860     136,134       79,866
        Other operating departments       23,737      25,777       19,270
      Other property operating costs     272,261     294,050      203,998
      Management and franchise fees       50,861      60,853       40,917
      Taxes, insurance and lease
       expense                           101,442     108,836      107,898
      Corporate expenses                  10,293       9,309        9,309
      Depreciation                       114,592     118,786      118,786
      Abandoned project costs              1,663         ---          
      Lease termination costs                ---         ---       36,604
      Merger termination costs               ---      19,919       19,919
          Total operating expenses       897,273     991,712      790,803

    Operating income                     110,845     148,351      107,258
      Interest expense, net:
        Recurring financing              123,545     118,338      118,338
        Merger related financing             ---       5,212        5,212
      Swap termination expense               ---       4,824        4,824
      Loss on early extinguishment
       of debt                               ---       1,270        1,270

    Income (loss) before equity in
     income from unconsolidated
     entities, minority interests
     and gain on sale of assets          (12,700)     18,707      (22,386)
      Equity in income from
       unconsolidated entities             3,816       7,050        7,050
      Minority interests                   2,598      (4,064)       1,910
      Gain on sale of assets               6,061       3,417        3,417
    Net income (loss)                       (225)     25,110      (10,009)
      Preferred dividends                (19,565)    (18,450)     (18,450)
    Net income (loss) applicable to
     common stockholders                $(19,790)     $6,660     $(28,459)

    Diluted per common share data:
      Net income (loss) applicable
       to common stockholders             $(0.38)      $0.13       $(0.54)
      Weighted average common shares
       outstanding                        52,724      52,991       52,991

    (A)   Information for the pro forma nine months ended September 30, 2001,
          is presented assuming the 88 hotel leases acquired on July 1, 2001,
          were acquired on January 1, 2001. In addition, $36.6 million of non
          recurring lease termination costs were eliminated.  When the leases
          were acquired, the Company began receiving and recording hotel
          revenues and expenses, rather than percentage lease revenues.


                       Reconciliation of FFO and EBITDA
                    (in thousands, except per share data)

                                                       Three Months Ended
                                                         September 30,

                                                      2002           2001
    Funds From Operations (FFO) (A)

    Net loss                                         $(7,081)      $(25,762)
    Abandoned projects                                 1,663            
    Series B preferred dividends                      (3,811)        (3,235)
    Loss on early extinguishment of debt                 ---          1,045
    Lease termination costs                              ---            378
    Merger costs:
      Termination costs                                  ---         19,919
      Non-recurring financing costs                      ---          4,126
    Depreciation                                      37,770         39,273
    Depreciation from unconsolidated entities          2,983          2,755
    Minority interest in FelCor LP                    (2,344)        (5,430)
      FFO                                            $29,180        $33,069
      Diluted FFO per common share and unit            $0.44          $0.50
      Weighted average common shares and units
       outstanding                                    66,692         66,632


    Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation
     and Amortization (EBITDA) (A)

    FFO                                              $29,180        $33,069
    Interest expense                                  41,339         40,695
    Interest expense from unconsolidated entities      2,263          2,523
    Amortization expense                                 526            555
    Series B preferred dividends                       3,811          3,235
      EBITDA                                         $77,119        $80,077

    (A)  FFO and EBITDA are adjusted to exclude significant non-recurring
         items.


                       Reconciliation of FFO and EBITDA
                    (in thousands, except per share data)

                                          Nine Months Ended September 30,

                                                     Pro Forma     Actual
                                           2002      2001 (A)       2001
    Funds From Operations (FFO) (B)

    Net income (loss)                      $(225)    $25,110     $(10,009)
    Gain on sale of hotel and related
     assets                               (5,861)        ---          
    Abandoned projects                     1,663         ---          
    Lease termination costs                  ---         ---       36,604
    Merger costs:
      Termination                            ---      19,919       19,919
      Financing                              ---       5,212        5,212
    Loss on early extinguishment of debt     ---       1,270        1,270
    Swap termination expense                 ---       4,824        4,824
    Series B preferred dividends         (10,818)     (9,703)      (9,703)
    Depreciation                         114,592     118,786      118,786
    Depreciation from unconsolidated
     entities                              8,239       7,777        7,777
    Minority interest in FelCor LP        (3,359)      1,133       (4,842)
      FFO                               $104,231    $174,328     $169,838
      Diluted FFO per common share and
       unit                                $1.56       $2.62        $2.55
      Weighted average common shares
       and units outstanding              66,717      66,641       66,641


    Earnings Before Interest, Taxes,
     Depreciation and Amortization
     (EBITDA) (B)

    FFO                                 $104,231    $174,328     $169,838
    Interest expense                     125,297     120,591      120,591
    Interest expense from
     unconsolidated entities               6,995       7,265        7,265
    Amortization expense                   1,561       1,439        1,439
    Series B preferred dividends          10,818       9,703        9,703
      EBITDA                            $248,902    $313,326     $308,836

    (A)  Information for the pro forma nine months ended September 30, 2001,
         is presented assuming the 88 hotel leases acquired on July 1, 2001,
         were acquired on January 1, 2001.  In addition, $36.6 million of
         non-recurring lease termination costs were eliminated.  When the
         leases were acquired, the Company began receiving and recording
         hotel revenues and expenses, rather than percentage lease revenues.
    (B)  FFO and EBITDA are adjusted to exclude significant non-recurring
         items.


                         Selected Balance Sheet Data
                 (in thousands, except book value per share)

                                    September 30, 2002     December 31, 2001

    Investment in hotels at cost        $4,574,766           $4,523,469
    Total cash and cash equivalents         93,364              128,742
    Total assets                         4,004,554            4,088,929
    Total debt                           1,880,240            1,938,408
    Total stockholders' equity           1,665,127            1,683,194
Finance Finance

FelCor, a real estate investment trust, owns 66 primarily upper-upscale, full-service hotels that are located in major and resort markets throughout 22 states. FelCor partners with leading hotel companies to operate its diversified portfolio of hotels, which are flagged under globally recognized names such as Doubletree®, Embassy Suites®, Fairmont®, Hilton®, Marriott®, Renaissance®, Sheraton®, Westin® and Holiday Inn®, and premier independent...