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Way Corporate Housing Does Business |
ARLINGTON, Va., August 12, 2004 � BridgeStreet
Worldwide, a leading international provider of corporate housing to business
and leisure travelers, today announced that it has embarked on a new mission
to �transform� the corporate housing experience. Over the next six
to nine months, BridgeStreet will introduce a series of innovative programs
under an umbrella theme, �Corporate Housing Made Easy,� that will streamline
all aspects of the corporate housing stay, from initial quotation to post-visit
billing.
�We are rethinking and reshaping the way corporate housing does business, with a goal of simplifying the process before, during and after a stay,� said H. Lee Curtis, BridgeStreet president. �We want to significantly upgrade older, and in some cases paper-oriented, systems commonly used by the industry today for reservations, billing and reporting. But with corporate housing�s complex tracking, pricing and contractual requirements, getting to a fully integrated, seamless, more efficient system is a challenge. Our goal is to extend the convenience of corporate housing throughout the guest experience and beyond, to the companies we serve. We believe our new approach will accomplish that and will revolutionize the way our industry does business.� To achieve its goal, the company has harnessed the technology and support of its parent company, Interstate Hotels and Resorts (NYSE: IHR). BridgeStreet Worldwide�s �Made Easy� mission focuses on three primary initiatives:
�Recently, for example, BridgeStreet launched OSCAR 6.0e, a central reservation system built specifically for the corporate housing industry. Through customization of the software, we have a powerful tool that is, at once, a platform for our growth and also streamlines our day-to-day operations. The launch of OSCAR, combined with integration of all our systems, are key elements in our plan to make corporate housing easy for clients and guests alike. �Ultimately, we will introduce a complete suite of programs, ranging from innovative food and beverage delivery to simplified booking and tracking systems, that will dramatically reduce the time it takes to book and manage corporate housing for our clients�and for us,� he added. �A year from now the process to book and monitor corporate housing will be a few clicks away, online. Providing our corporate clients with the real-time data they need to manage business travel, long-term stays and relocations quickly and effortlessly is a top priority. Our new strategy is a dynamic process that will undergo constant evaluation and that will evolve as we find new and better ways to be the easiest company to do business with.� BridgeStreet is a wholly owned subsidiary of Interstate Hotels & Resorts, the nation�s largest independent hotel management company. BridgeStreet and their network of Global Partners offer more than 8,500 corporate apartments located in 84 MSAs throughout the United States and internationally. BridgeStreet properties meet uncompromising standards of quality, comfort and service. BridgeStreet is headquartered in Arlington, Va. 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. |
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Melissa Thompson Vice President, Corporate Communications Interstate Hotels & Resorts (703) 387-3377 www.bridgestreet.com |
Also See: | BridgeStreet Corporate Housing Names Lee Curtis President; Thomas Vincent to Retire / Aug 2003 |