In his new role, Sweetwood will be responsible for the management, growth and profitability of the company�s largest operating region spanning the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.  His area of responsibility includes a portfolio of more than 2,300 hotels and resorts under the Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites hotel brands.  This new role is a combination of Sweetwood�s previous responsibilities and those that were held by Thomas Arasi, president of the company�s upscale brands in North America/all brands Latin America.  Arasi will be leaving Bass at the end of October to set up his own company and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.  He will remain a consultant to the company.

�I am delighted to make this appointment as it provides us with the opportunity to have a single head for our largest market area which in turn allows for the optimum brand and operational synergies within the Americas,� said Thomas R. Oliver, chairman and CEO of Bass Hotels & Resorts.   �John has made significant contributions to the success of the company and his leadership of this division will be invaluable.�

Sweetwood�s five year tenure with Bass Hotels & Resorts has been highlighted with numerous successes, most notably the outstanding results of the Midscale division�s RevPar (revenue per available room), ADR (average daily rate) and occupancy, which has consistently exceeded competitor performance* under his leadership.  Sweetwood also lead the team responsible for driving the development and growth of the company�s limited service midscale hotel brand, Holiday Inn Express.  Today Express is a billion dollar brand with more than 1,000 hotels worldwide.

�Bass Hotels and Resorts owners� association (IAHI) is pleased with this announcement�, said Tim Worthington, president, IAHI.  �John has forged a strong relationship with our owners and franchisees over the past years and his strategic direction and support will continue to be an asset to the association members.�

Sweetwood joined Bass Hotels & Resorts in July 1995 as executive vice president and chief marketing officer, assuming responsibility for the company�s worldwide marketing, reservations, sales, and frequency program.  In 1998 Sweetwood was appointed President of Holiday Inn Express, the company�s limited-service hotel brand.

Prior to joining Bass Hotels & Resorts, Sweetwood held several positions at the Ralston Purina company most notably in the Eveready Battery Division from 1986-1991, ultimately leading marketing for the division and successfully repositioning the brand to become the category leader.  Under his leadership, Eveready developed and launched the �Energizer Bunny� advertising campaign, one of the most memorable and long-running campaigns in history and selected as campaign of the year by Business Week, USA Today, Advertising Age, and AdWeek.

A native of Cincinnati, Sweetwood earned a bachelor�s degree in marketing from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and received his M.B.A. in marketing from Xavier University in Cincinnati.  Sweetwood is a member of Bass Hotels and Resorts Management Committee, Executive Sponsor of the company�s Diversity Initiative, a member of the Board of Directors of Give Kids the World, and serves on the Business Advisory Council, and Executive in Residence programs of Miami University.

Bass Hotels & Resorts® [LON:BAS, NYSE:BAS (ADRs)], the hotel business of Bass PLC of the United Kingdom, operates or franchises more than 2,900 hotels and 480,000 guest rooms in more than 95 countries and territories.