Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) has expanded its portfolio in Belgium with the opening of the 150-room Ghent Marriott Hotel. The hotel is owned by the Granite Group and managed by Interstate Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: IHR). The hotel is the first Marriott property to open in Ghent and the fifth in Belgium.

Situated on the banks of the Lys River, the Ghent Marriott Hotel brings modern design to one of the Europe’s most historic cities. The hotel is conveniently located just a short walk from Ghent’s shopping district and university, as well as many of the city’s most historical sites.

“We are delighted at the continued expansion of our portfolio in Belgium,” said Gitta Brueckmann, vice president of sales & marketing for Marriott International in Continental Europe. “As the premier hotel in Ghent, the hotel is ideally situated to attract leisure and business travelers. We are thrilled to conduct business in this historic city.”

Perfectly located in the heart of the Medieval City of Ghent, the Ghent Marriott Hotel offers guests spectacular views of the city’s many canals and historic 16th century architecture. The general manager is Paul Suy. The director of sales and marketing is Karen Verbiest.

For dining, the Ghent Marriott Hotel offers Restaurant Korenhuis featuring fine cuisine served in the ambience of a modernized 16th century Ghent’s merchant house. Guests may also enjoy an aperitif, or cocktail, in Plush Bar & Lounge, open for both lunch and dinner in a relaxed and sophisticated atmosphere.

For meetings and events, the hotel features seven meeting rooms and nearly 420 square meters of total meeting space. Recreational amenities include a state of the art fitness center.

The Ghent Marriott Hotel along with over 2,500 Marriott-affiliated hotels worldwide, participates in Marriott Rewards, the guest reward program that allows members to earn their choice of points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay.

Today, Marriott International's presence in Continental Europe is represented by 109 properties in 22 countries, offering 25,747 rooms and seven lodging brands: Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts in the super-luxury tier; The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts and JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts in the luxury tier; Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Renaissance Hotels & Resorts in the upscale-deluxe tier; Courtyard by Marriott in the select-service category; and Marriott Executive Apartments in the extended-stay category. In addition, Marriott’s Vacation Club International division has two vacation ownership resorts in Spain.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 2,800 lodging properties in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2006 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry’s most admired company and one of the best places to work for by FORTUNE®. The company is also a 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner. In fiscal year 2006, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $12.2 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at .

Catherine Leitner
(301) 380-4220
Marriott