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Akihito Ikeda Appointed President of Pan Pacific Hotels
and Resorts; Steve Halliday Appointed President
of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts North America

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Singapore - April 6, 2005 - Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts is pleased to announce several senior executive appointments, namely the transition of former Pan Pacific President Mr. Ichigo Umehara to President of Tokyu Hotels and Chairman of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts; Mr. Akihito (Arthur) Ikeda as the new President of the Singapore-based company; and Mr. Steve Halliday as President of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts North America. Ikeda, Umehara and Halliday assumed their new positions effective April 1, 2005.

Most recently President of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts for the past 14 years, Umehara has moved on to become the President of Tokyu Hotels Co. Ltd, and will also assume the responsibility as Chairman of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts.  Umehara's new role will be to develop synergies between the two companies. 

With corporate headquarters located in Tokyo, Japan, Umehara will be relocating in the near future to assume his new responsibilities.  Tokyu Hotels portfolio is currently comprised of 59 properties throughout Japan, including the following brands, Tokyu Hotels, Excel Hotel Tokyu, Tokyu Inn and Tokyo Resort Hotel.

While Umehara's main role will be to develop synergy between the two brands, he has named two new leaders of the company, one based in Singapore and one in North America, Ikeda and Halliday, respectively.  These two new Presidents will both work directly with Umehara to further expand the company's presence within the Asia Pacific region.

Prior to his appointment as the President of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, Ikeda worked with Tokyu Group, the parent company of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts. With a background in town planning, one of Ikeda's biggest achievements is the success of Tokyu's Western Australia Yanchep project, in which Tokyu and the Government of Western Australia are jointly developing a 6,000 hectare sub-city in Perth. Ikeda was also recently responsible for Tokyu Group's leisure and recreation projects both domestically in Japan and in the overseas markets.

"My new role with Pan Pacific will be to open up opportunities and allow me to apply my hospitality knowledge on a corporate level. I am looking ahead to the future, where I can leverage on the current success of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts and propel this brand to new heights," comments the determined Ikeda.

Born in Japan, Ikeda attended Kyoto University to study civil engineering and went on to earn an M.B.A. at New York University. He worked in the United States, where he was involved in the development of the Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii, and in Australia as Managing Director of previously mentioned Yanchep project.

Umehara comments, "I am very confident that Ikeda-san will be able to undertake the challenges in his new role. With his extensive experience, he will be able to bring the Pan Pacific brand to greater heights. My own history with the company has been a fulfilling experience and I would like to wish Ikeda-san the same success."

In order to further expand the presence of and portfolio in North America, Halliday has been appointed as President of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts North America.  Halliday has held many key management positions with Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts since 1984, including opening Pan Pacific Vancouver during the World's Expo in 1986, General Manager of Pan Pacific Singapore, Executive Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Pan Pacific's Corporate Office in Singapore, and most recently, as Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts North America Senior Vice President.

Halliday comments, "With a greater focus now on North America, Pan Pacific's primary business objective is to maximize the operations of our existing properties, further expand upon future development of our portfolio of managed hotels in North America and to drive our overall business to new levels. While looking for opportunities which complement our global business strategy, the company will maintain the core operating philosophy where "people make the difference" while exceeding expectations and caring without compromise for all our guests. This philosophy lies at the heart of the company's culture and is as present today as it was at the inception of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts over 30 years ago."

Umehara comments, "This promotion is in recognition of the key role that Steve has played in the growth and future development of the Pan Pacific brand in North America over the last five years and his contribution to the entire company over the past 20 years as a Pan Pacific associate.  We are looking forward to his continued success in growing the Pan Pacific brand in North America."

Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts currently encompasses 25 hotels (18 managed properties and 7 marketing affiliates) in 11 countries in Asia, the Pacific and North America.

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Contact:
Molly Cahill
Hook, Line & Thinker
390 Fernwood Drive
Moraga, CA 94556
(925) 631-7971
[email protected]
www.hooklineandthinker.net
www.panpacific.com
Also See: Five Tokyu Hotels in Japan Allign with Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts / June 2003
Oxford Lodging Advisory & Investment Group, LLC Acquires the 329-room Pan Pacific San Francisco from Tokyu Corporation / Aug 2003
Pan Pacifics' President, Ichigo Umehara Holding True to Tradition of Differentiating Hotels and Resorts by Celebrating the Diversity of Each / Aug 2002


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