January 19, 2004 - Rim Hospitality has entered into a joint venture agreement with Pritesh Patel (Pearl Investments of Waco, Texas) to convert an existing hotel, Barcelona Court in Lubbock, Texas into a 170-room Embassy Suites by Hilton. 

�We met Pritesh Patel a year and a half ago and are very impressed with the team he has put together with their extensive hospitality background and their familiarity with the Texas market.  This fit in perfectly with our expansion to grow the company east of the Rockies� said Mark LeBlanc, Vice President, Development. 

The 170-room Embassy Suites will be scheduled for completion by June 2004.  �There is great value here, when completed we will be in for 65% of replacement cost and we expect to be the market leaders� says LeBlanc.  The newly formed joint venture to be called Rim Texas will be the managing arm for the development of the Lubbock Embassy Suites.  Rim Hospitality will oversee the $6 million renovation as well as be involved with the day-to-day management of the property.  �We are very excited to work with the Hilton organization and look forward to doing more projects in the future� says Mark Burden, President of Rim Hospitality.

In another development, Rim Hospitality has signed an agreement to build and manage a Country Inn and Suites in Northern California.  The 85-room Country Inn and Suites will be in Ripon, California, 15 miles north of Modesto.  This will be the sixth Country Inn and Suites developed and managed by Rim Hospitality in California.  �We see Country Inn and Suites as a mid-priced boutique hotel, well positioned in a quaint community such as Ripon. Our experience with Country Inn and Suites in Southern California has exceeded our expectations and bringing them to Northern California is just a natural progression� says Mark LeBlanc, Vice President, Development.  The hotel is expected to open the end of 2004.

Rim Hospitality is a full service management company with franchised hotel and independent boutique properties.  Rim Hospitality has earned its reputation as one of the West Coast�s most respected hotel property management services companies.
Rim Hospitality manages hotel, resort and boutique properties affiliated with nine national brands including Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, and Residence Inn by Marriott, Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Best Western, as well as our own Heathman Collection of upscale boutique luxury hotels. Visit our websites at www.rimhospitality.com.

 Mark LeBlanc
[email protected]