MEMPHIS, Tenn.--Hampton®, the national brand of mid-priced Hampton Inn® and Hampton Inn & Suites® hotels, today announced the grand opening of a new type of hotel designed specifically for smaller towns.

The Hampton Inn-Cedar City, Utah, is the national brand's first "small town" Hampton Inn. It is managed by California-based Marin Management and owned by The Church Family Trust in Utah.

Located in Cedar City, Utah, population: 20,527, this smaller scale Hampton Inn features only 58 rooms – 30% less rooms than a typical Hampton Inn – while providing the same services, look and "feel" of the traditional, larger Hampton Inn product. Historically, the minimum threshold for building a quality, branded hotel was 65 rooms.

The break-through "small town Hampton" design allows developers to build a quality small-scale, mid-priced hotel product at an affordable cost while at the same time providing small towns with a much-needed quality, branded hotel. According to Hampton research, as many as 200 small U.S. markets are ripe for building the new hotel product. The introduction of the new Hampton Inn also comes at an opportune time when more business and leisure travelers are traveling to their destinations by car.

The new 58-room Hampton Inn-Cedar City, located at 1145 Bentley Boulevard, features six large suites, 52 guest rooms, an indoor pool, exercise room, breakfast seating area with elevated ceilings, and a 1,000-square-foot meeting room area, a business center and coin-operated laundry. The hotel is strategically located next to one of the largest retail, dining, and entertainment centers in Southern Utah.

"The grand opening of this Hampton Inn marks the return of quality, major branded hotels to small-town America," said Phil Cordell, senior vice-president, brand management, Hampton. "For the past 10 to 20 years, it has not been economically viable to build a quality new hotel in small towns because the costs were too great to build and operate a mid-priced hotel under 65 rooms." Cordell added that as a result, travelers going to more remote locations have been faced with the option of non-branded hotels with less of today's amenities.

Hampton believes the cutting-edge design of the "small town" Hampton Inn will reverse this trend. Already, the brand has five additional "small town" Hampton Inn prototypes in the development pipeline in other small markets across the U.S. "By the end of 2003, we expect to have at least 15 of these projects either open or underway," said Cordell. "We have already opened two--our first being Cedar City and our second in Springfield, Tennessee, which just opened."

Located on Interstate 15, between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, Cedar City is a short distance from three National Parks--including Zion National Park, the Brian Head ski area, Southern Utah University, and the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival. Cedar City is the third fastest-growing population base in Utah.

"The design is perfect for a town this size," said John Manderfeld with Marin Management, which manages the Hampton Inn-Cedar City. "We have already seen that the comfortable meeting space is one of its most attractive amenities, especially to local businesses and residents who are working with travelers. Cedar City now offers a leading brand in the mid-market segment, which will help attract more overnight leisure and business travelers there, and Hampton's frequent guest program, HHonors, national reservation system, and advertising programs supporting this property will help provide a competitive edge."

Hampton Inn completely re-engineered the guest room layout to create the new uncustomary in-room design that provides a more open feel in a slightly smaller room footprint in its single rooms. With a decor of brighter colors and textures, the guest room contains a unique repositioning of furniture to allow for ample "walk around" space, a bed that is raised higher and positioned against the inside room wall, a television armoire, and an open work desk area with ample lighting and dataport connection for Internet access. Most rooms also contain a walk-in shower and separate vanity area - a popular feature among travelers that Hampton Inn discovered while testing the design of the new prototype.

The new Hampton Inn prototype varies in size from 52 to 64 rooms and is typically no more than three stories tall. Each property will offer a swimming pool (indoor or outdoor) and the option of specialty amenity packages, such as whirlpool spa suites. In addition, the design requires available meeting room space, and also includes an exercise facility to meet business and leisure travelers' needs.

The Hampton Inn Cedar City, as all Hampton hotels, is backed by the brand's weel-known 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, which states if guests are not satisfied with their stay, then that night's stay is free. Members of the Hilton HHonors® program can earn Points & Miles® for the same stay at the Hampton Inn-Cedar City. HHonors is the only hotel program that allows any of its members to Double Dip® by simultaneously accumulating both hotel points and airline miles with the same stay. Hilton HHonors membership, earning of Points & Miles® and redemption of points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions.

To make reservations or request information about Hampton Inn Cedar City, travelers may access the Web site at or call 1-800-HAMPTON.

Hampton is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,000 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton®, Conrad®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations Company® and Homewood Suites by Hilton®.

About the Owner/Operator - Church Family Trust is a family-owned and managed business led by Robert Church, an experienced developer who was formerly vice president of construction for the Koll Co., a major development company in Southern and Northern California. Church is currently developing a 250-acre planned community in Cedar City, Utah, with his son Barry Church. Church Family Trust, which owns the Hampton Inn Cedar City, was equally involved in the financing and construction of the project. Founded in 1990 by John Manderfeld, Marin Management, Inc. provides management and support services for hotel owners. The company currently manages 20 hotel properties across the West Coast region in the states of Texas, Utah and California.

Kendra Walker
Hilton Hotels Corporation Brand Communications
310/205-4545