The topping-off ceremony in Sugar Land will signify the completion of the highest point of the nine-story structure, which will be Fort Bend County's first full-service hotel.  The ceremony also launches the commencement of advance convention bookings.  The Sugar Land Marriott Town Square is scheduled to open in the fall of 2003.

"Our decision to enter the Texas market with this particular project was influenced by Fort Bend's powerful demographics and the City of Sugar Land's commitment to the development," said Dave Durbin, Crestline's President and CEO.  "The support of the surrounding residential and business communities has been phenomenal.  There is a true demand for a full-service hotel in Fort Bend County, and we're moving closer to meeting that demand as we top off the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square."

The hotel will feature 300 guestrooms and suites within a nine-story building.  The two-story Sugar Land Conference Center will adjoin the hotel via an interior, landscaped courtyard and also be accessible by a separate, covered entrance.  The conference center's 25,500 square feet of meeting space will include a 15,500-square-foot ballroom, which is among Houston's largest, eight breakout/meeting rooms, a business center, an executive boardroom, a restaurant and lounge, a gourmet coffee shop and a health facility including an outdoor swimming pool and landscaped deck.   The architect is Cooper Carry Inc. of Atlanta and the interior designer is W.D.G. of Dallas. 

Crestline will operate and own majority interest in the $54 million Sugar Land Marriott Town Square, which is being developed as a public-private partnership between Crestline; Stormont Hospitality Group, L.L.C. of Atlanta; and the Sugar Land Town Square Development Authority, a local government corporation of the City of Sugar Land.  The hotel will serve as the centerpiece of a new $200 million mixed-use town center, Sugar Land Town Square, located at the intersection of US 59 and Highway 6 in First Colony.

Crestline Hotels & Resorts manages and leases 36 hotels, resorts and conference and convention centers with over 7,600 rooms in 12 states and the District of Columbia.  Barceló Crestline Corporation is the parent company of Crestline Hotels & Resorts, among the nation's leading independent hotel management companies.