This was the second consecutive year that Winegardner Hammons has received Marriott's coveted Partnership Circle Award for "living the vision for customer and associate satisfaction."

The Cincinnati-based hotel management company has been a franchisee of Marriott lodging brands since the 1988 opening of the Residence Inn -- Rochester. The Cincinnati Marriott Northeast, the company's first full-service Marriott, opened in 1996 and has won Marriott's Guest Focus Award in both 1997 and 1998. The hotel is consistently ranked as one of the top Marriott hotels nationally. Winegardner Hammons' second full-service Marriott, the Columbus Marriott Northwest, was named Best Opening Hotel. The 295-room, full-service hotel opened in June, 1998, and is located in Dublin's flourishing Tuttle Crossing area.

Two other full-service Marriott hotels are now under construction by Winegardner Hammons. The Birmingham Marriott, located in southeast Birmingham at I-459 and Hwy 280, will open in early spring, 1999. The Cincinnati Airport Marriott, adjacent to the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, is slated to open in the fall of 1999. Both hotels will feature 295 guest rooms, over 14,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, a concierge level and lounge, and more than 200 designated as "The Room That Works" designed specifically for the business traveler.

Winegardner Hammons, Inc., is full-service management company with a reputation for progressive and successful management. WHI's owned/managed portfolio includes resorts, all-suite, extended-stay, full-service and conference center hotels in many diverse markets across the country. WHI currently manages over 30 hotels in the Unites States and operates most major hotel brands. 

Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading worldwide hospitality company with over 1,700 operating units in the United States and 53 other countries and territories. Major businesses include hotels operated and franchised under the Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, Renaissance, New World and Ramada International brands; vacation club (timeshare) resorts; senior living communities and services; and food service distribution. The company is headquartered in Washingon, D.C., and has approximately 131,000 employees. For fiscal year 1997, Marriott International reported sales of $9 billion.