�While we are a small, independent hotel, we find ourselves in a similar position as the larger independent and chain hotels�catering to the business traveler as well as the meeting and convention group attendee,� said Steven Andre, general manager of Hotel Derek. �What these audiences care about is not only the size of the ballroom and whether or not we have high-speed Internet access, but will the guestroom work for them. Since they all can�t come to Houston and experience our remarkable room first-hand, we�re bringing the room to them.�

The Hotel Derek �Traveling Hotel Room Display� highlights many of the unique features that comprise the hotel�s guestroom, including:

• Hotel Derek�s bed, featuring a pillow-top mattress, an abundance of down pillows and signature black pinstriped goose-down duvet;
• Hotel Derek�s famous cappuccino-colored, Mohair banquette sofa, which is nestled near each room�s wall of windows, displaying breathtaking views of Houston�s downtown skyline;
• Hotel Derek�s sleek bathroom, featuring a wood floor, ample lighting and an oversized, modern Kohler sink set into a glass vanity with classic chrome fittings; and
• Hotel Derek�s built-in storage compartment, featuring a set of wicker baskets for clothing and accessory storage. 

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�Our guestrooms have everything a traveler could want, whether they�re in Houston for business or pleasure. We don�t just have a great bed or a divine shower, Hotel Derek�s guestrooms are remarkable in every way,� said Tracy Fitz, director of sales and marketing for Hotel Derek and the spearhead of the traveling room display. �It was evident that we had something remarkable when virtually every time I present our guestroom to a prospective guest or client, the initial response is �Wow� or �Oh my!�  So we decided to take our remarkable guestroom across the U.S. this year, from Chicago to D.C. and from New York to Los Angeles. We�re going to give prospective guests a chance to really experience our guestroom, something all together different from what most hotels, even the larger chains are doing.�

Hotel Derek�s �Traveling Hotel Room Display� is a custom-designed exhibit built by Exhibitgroup/Giltspur in Dallas and based on input from Hotel Derek�s guests, staff, owners and designer, Dayna Lee. Besides the furniture replicas, the �Traveling Hotel Room Display� also features a cutting-edge design, including laminate-covered wood, Hotel Derek�s own wallpapers and actual guestroom components, all custom-fit to the 10-foot by 20-foot exhibit size. The �Display� includes a plasma screen television with DVD player that will show guests images of the other remarkable assets of the Houston hotel. In addition, the 4,500-pound display takes approximately 16 hours to assemble and will be trans-shipped to nine exhibitions in 2004. The next stop for the Hotel Derek �Traveling Hotel Room Display� is at the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives show, Springtime 2004, in Washington D.C.

Hotel Derek is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., a global brand of independently owned deluxe hotels and resorts. Only a select few properties offer the top-notch service, first-class amenities and luxurious surroundings that are required to pass Preferred�s rigorous inspection. Hotel Derek is owned by a joint venture between Amerimar Enterprises, Inc. and Angelo, Gordon & Co.