OMAHA (August 16, 2010) - A well-known Omaha hotel is changing flags.

Denver-based Sage Hospitality announced Monday the Omaha Holiday Inn Convention Center will operate under the banner of the CoCo Key Water Resort-Hotel & Convention Center, Omaha effective Aug. 20.  

�We�ve elected to make a full commitment to this property due to the tremendous success we�ve experienced with the CoCo Key water park at this location and our bullish forecast for both business and leisure travel business in Omaha,� said Ed Baklor, senior vice president of Sage Hospitality which has served as the resort�s hotel management company since 2006.  �The transition will be seamless, and our guests and clients will continue to experience the service excellence they�ve come to expect when staying with us.�

Baklor also believes reflagging strategy for the 383-room hotel will significantly improve the resort�s penetration across key distribution channels and further leverage CoCo Key�s expanding brand awareness.  Omaha will be the brand�s third flag, following the CoCo Key Cherry Valley Hotel in Columbus, Ohio and the CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort-Orlando which made its debut in mid-April.

The resort�s executive leadership team remains intact and there will be no staffing changes.

�The team�s excited about the change and the opportunity to be more prominently affiliated with one of the hotel industry�s hottest emerging brands,� said Tim Darby, general manager of the convention center hotel.  �Our philosophy here is full steam ahead.�

Founded in 1984, Sage Hospitality has strategically grown into one of the largest privately held hotel management and development companies in the nation operating a variety of large, full-service hotels and extended stay and select-service properties. Sage Hospitality's comprehensive management portfolio includes major international brands for Marriott, Starwood, Hilton and IHG as well as the independent boutique hotels the Oxford and the Curtis in Denver. Sage Hospitality has further differentiated with the creation of the Sage Restaurant Group, which has created and is managing ten unique restaurant concepts including the acclaimed Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago. The company developed the innovative CoCo Key water resort brand with 10 destination hotel and water resort properties. For more information, please visit www.sagehospitality.com.

CoCo Key water resort developments offer a Key West paradise for family adventure getaways.  Managed and developed by Sage Hospitality Resources, other CoCo Key Water Resort developments can be found in Rockford, Ill., Orlando, Kansas City, Mo., Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Danvers, Mass., Fitchburg, Mass., Waterbury, Conn., and Mt. Laurel, NJ.