ARLINGTON, Va. | Interstate Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: IHR - News), the nation's largest independent hotel management company, today announced that it has named Paul Burke, president, hotel operations. In addition, the company announced the organizational realignment of several key operations positions.

Burke previously was Interstate's executive vice president of operations, overseeing a portfolio of full-service properties, ranging from independent resorts and boutique properties to large, branded urban hotels. In the new position, he will oversee the company's hotel operations. Additionally, several operations support functions - sales and marketing, brand assurance and training - will report to Burke.

"Interstate has exceptional bench strength and promoting Paul was a natural progression," said Thomas F. Hewitt, Interstate CEO. "He has more than 25 years of operating experience with a wide variety of properties and has a great grasp of our organization and culture."

Under the organizational realignment, two other operating executives took on new positions. Tom Bardenett was promoted to executive vice president of Crossroads, Interstate's select-service division, which operates such brands as Residence Inn by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, and Hampton Inn. Ted Knighton, has been named executive vice president of the company's investment fund/joint venture portfolio.

Prior to joining Interstate, Burke was vice president of operations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, responsible for corporate-owned and -managed W, Westin and Sheraton hotels in the Southeast. He is a former senior vice president of Homestead Village Incorporated, where he oversaw operations for 65 hotels across the United States. He began his career with ITT Corporation-Sheraton Hotels, where he held increasingly responsible management positions. Burke holds a bachelor's degree in history from Concordia College and an MBA from Farleigh Dickinson.

Knighton joined Interstate Hotels Corp., a predecessor company, in 1990, where he held positions of increasing responsibility, including regional vice president of operations for full-service hotels. In 2002, he was named EVP, operations, Crossroads division. Prior to joining Interstate, Knighton was vice president of operations for Radisson Hotels, supervising 56 hotels, and also worked for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. He holds a bachelor's degree in hotel accounting from Cornell University.

Bardenett began his career in hotel sales and marketing and subsequently joined Interstate in 1988. He was promoted to regional director of sales at the Crossroads division in 1994 and also held the position of regional director of operations before promotion to senior vice president of sales & marketing in 2003. He holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Oswego State University of New York.

Interstate Hotels & Resorts operates more than 300 hospitality properties with nearly 70,000 rooms in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Russia, and Portugal. BridgeStreet Corporate Housing Worldwide, an Interstate Hotels & Resorts' subsidiary, is one of the world's largest corporate housing providers. BridgeStreet and its network of Global Partners offer more than 8,700 corporate apartments located in 91 MSAs throughout the United States and internationally. For more information about Interstate Hotels & Resorts, visit the company's Web site: .

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, about Interstate Hotels & Resorts, including those statements regarding future operating results and the timing and composition of revenues, among others, and statements containing words such as "expects," "believes" or "will," which indicate that those statements are forward-looking. Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, including changes in the national economy, economic conditions generally and the real estate market specifically, the threat of future terrorist attacks, governmental actions, legislative and regulatory changes, availability of debt and equity capital, interest rates, competition, supply and demand for lodging facilities in our current and proposed market areas, and the company's ability to manage integration and growth. Additional risks are discussed in Interstate Hotels & Resorts' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Interstate Hotels & Resorts annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003.

Melissa Thompson
Vice President, Corporate Communications
703-387-3377
Aimbridge EMEA