SEATTLE--Coast Hotels & Resorts of Canada today announced it has partnered with Northwest Hospitality Group of Boise, Idaho and Paramount Hotels of Seattle, Washington, marking the first extension of the Coast Hotels & Resorts brand to the United States.

Effective April 1, 2003, 15 three- and four- star hotels throughout the Western United States adopt the Coast Hotels & Resorts brand, setting the stage for significant growth of the brand in the U.S. The addition of these 15 hotels in five states, combined with 20 first-class locations in Western Canada, will increase the number of Coast Hotels & Resorts properties to 35, representing the largest number of hotels in the brand's history, with more than 5,500 rooms and approximately 150,000 square feet of meeting space.

"This partnership will allow us to fulfill our mission to establish and maintain a regional network of quality hotels and resorts," said Robert Suits, president of Northwest Hospitality. "Our organizations share so many similar values in terms of our commitment to offering our guests an exceptional product with the best benefits at the highest value – its why we have joined together."

Under the terms of the franchise licensing agreement between Coast Hotels of Canada, Northwest Hospitality Group and Paramount Hotels, all 15 properties located throughout Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, will continue operating within their existing management structure. Additional franchise licensing agreements have been made with independent hotel ownership groups, The Coast International Inn in Anchorage and The Coast Long Beach Hotel in Southern California.

Each property will benefit from a state-of-the-art reservations system and Web site as well as centralized advertising, sales, marketing, purchasing, quality assurance and service standards, training and a dedicated IT help desk.

"These newest Coast Hotels & Resorts are the result of our development efforts to grow our brand's presence in North America," said Franco Anglesio, president of Coast Hotels & Resorts, Canada. "This partnership is a major advancement of our aggressive growth strategy to become a dominant international hotel company, offering high quality properties to our customers, in more locations."

Michael Bashaw, president and chief executive officer of Coast Hotels & Resorts, U.S. added, "We see tremendous potential for brand growth as a result of this partnership and have plans to continue adding to our portfolio of hotels in the future. This franchise represents an alternative for hotel ownership groups looking to affiliate themselves in the upscale hotel market."

Coast Hotels & Resorts has also made enhancements to its online reservation system, now making it easier than ever for its guests to complete their online booking from start to finish with the knowledge that they are getting the best in three- and four-star accommodations at the best rate available. For reservations or additional details, visit .

About Coast Hotels & Resorts - Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and Seattle, Washington, Coast Hotels & Resorts is one of the premier hotel chains on the Pacific Coast. The company acquired its first hotel in 1972 and today, boasts more than 35 three- and four-star properties throughout Western Canada, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada and Washington. All properties offer the signature comfort that business and leisure travelers have come to expect from a Coast Hotels' stay. For more information or reservations, visit or call 1-800-663-1144.

Below is a list of the new Coast Hotels & Resorts:

Alaska:

  • The Coast International Inn, Anchorage

California:

  • The Coast Anabelle Hotel, Burbank
  • The Coast Anaheim Hotel, Anaheim
  • The Coast Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach
  • The Safari Inn - A Coast Hotel, Burbank
  • The Coast Santa Cruz Hotel, Santa Cruz
  • The West Beach Inn - A Coast Hotel, Santa Barbara

Hawaii:

  • The Maui Coast Hotel - A Coast Hotel, Kihei

Oregon:

  • The Benson Hotel - A Coast Hotel, Portland
  • The Paramount Hotel - A Coast Hotel, Portland

Washington:

  • The Coast Bellevue Hotel, Bellevue
  • The Coast Gateway Hotel, Sea-Tac Airport
  • The Paramount Hotel - A Coast Hotel, Seattle
  • The Roosevelt Hotel - A Coast Hotel, Seattle
  • The Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel, Wenatchee