Denver, Colo. � April 16, 2003 � Sceptre, a SWAN solution, has been retained by the Amelia Island Plantation (Florida) and Coeur D�Alene Resort (Idaho) to provide channel advisory services, electronic yield management and global-distribution system representation. These recent partnerships are symbolic of Sceptre�s expansion into the independent resort market.  Even more opportunities are on the horizon. 

�As the nation is knee deep in military conflict, many resort communities are entrenched in peak season. To maintain their projected occupancy levels amidst this challenging economy, independent resorts must have the right channel management strategies in place, with the right prices and the right on-line presence,� said Mark Ozawa, Sceptre VP. "At Sceptre, we have an innate understanding of the competitiveness of the U.S. lodging industry. We know what moves resort markets and we clearly understand the many issues that affect travel trends and patterns. One of our areas of expertise is in helping our clients understand the lodging consumer.�

Thankfully, the resort community has not been hit as hard as other segments of the lodging industry, Ozawa said. Operations such as the Amelia Island Plantation, which are located in a high-security, gated environment, have not seen declines in occupancy or in room revenue due to security concerns by travelers. Nonetheless, over the past year the property felt neglected by its previous GDS representation service provider, and management knew that the resort could do better.

�With the world situation today, communication and customer service is crucial in conducting business,� said Madeline Daniel, revenue and electronic distribution manager for Amelia Island Plantation. �Sceptre is synonymous with service � from the top on down. The Sceptre team has a real concern for its customers. They make time for us and continually consult with us on how to improve and enhance our business by allowing us to send a consistent message through the electronic channels and optimizing our rates and rate plans.�

Daniel said not only does Sceptre offer consultation on yield strategies and rate implementation, they provide a portfolio of real-time reports on-line to assist in the process. This enables the Amelia Island Plantation�s management team to track the results of their electronic-distribution strategy and simultaneously with Sceptre make improvements on a constant basis. 

�With Sceptre, we feel like we�re in control of our inventory, our rates, and our destiny to maximize business,� Daniel said. �We are confident that no business is slipping through the cracks.�

Coeur d�Alene Concurs

Steve Wilson, General Manager for the Coeur d'Alene Resort in Idaho, couldn�t agree more.

�From our initial meeting, we were incredibly impressed with customer service market knowledge and the hands on guidance and counsel Sceptre provided to us -- even prior to us accepting their contract,� Wilson said. �We were treated to a daylong GDS market distribution seminar/consulting session, and through that process Sceptre was able to make observations of our existing distribution strategy. They looked at the channels we were using, they looked at our Web site, and made suggestions on how to improve both. We took their suggestions to heart and saw an immediate improvement in bookings through the GDS and those through our Web site.�

Wilson said the depth of Sceptre�s knowledge regarding the various distribution channels and electronic side of the business impressed Coeur d�Alene so much that they knew they had found a long-term partner. Since the resort began working with Sceptre, it has seen an increase of about 40 percent in bookings through the GDS, Wilson said. Online reservations also have increased rather dramatically.

 �Our Web site was �pretty,� but the home page, with its elaborate photos and streaming video flash opening, offered little verbiage that all search engines look for,� Wilson said. �Oddly enough, if a traveler tapped into Google or performed a key word search on the resort, they came up empty because the words were not on the home page. Today our site is a big improvement, and so are our online bookings.� 

Ozawa said more and more of Sceptre�s customers are coming to them looking for Web sites consultation and enhancement. 

�Web sites are critical to selling properties today, and those that contain the right rates and the right GDS strategy are the ones that will attract and retain customers,� Ozawa said. �Because travelers have become more sophisticated in their online booking habits, they will make a purchasing decision based on the attractiveness of a site, its functionality and its flexibility to book a reservation.�

Sceptre recently teamed with Glenwood Springs, Colo.-based Blizzard Internet Marketing Inc. to offer Web site design, content and promotion enhancements that increase online bookings. 

�Together, Sceptre and Blizzard will continually expand and refine our services to fit the changing needs of our customers,� Ozawa said. �We will deliver high quality services that enable our clients to increase their revenues quickly and cost-effectively. Together our teams of industry experts will create a channel-management and marketing strategy with each property based on their unique needs. However, our common objective with each client is to help them drive additional customers and revenues.�

About Amelia Island Plantation
The Amelia Island Plantation is Florida's premier AAA-Four Diamond destination island resort. Located on Amelia Island, just 29 miles north of Jacksonville International Airport, the 1,350-acre property overlooks the Atlantic on the east and the Intracoastal Waterway on the west. The property boasts three 18-hole championship golf courses, 23 clay tennis courts, a health and fitness center, full service spa, retail shops and multiple dining facilities. The resort features 249 ocean view Amelia Inn hotel rooms and 418 ocean and resort view hotel rooms, and 1-, 2-, and 3- bedroom villas. The conference facilities feature more than 49,000 square feet of versatile function space. For more information visit www.aipfl.com.

About Coeur d�Alene
The Coeur d'Alene resort is located in northern Idaho approximately 31 miles east of Spokane, Wash., and 100 miles south of the Canadian border. The Coeur d�Alene Resort has built a reputation as one of America�s premier four season destinations based on five-star guest amenities, superior service and a spectacular location on the shores of Lake Coeur d�Alene. The resort received the AAA Four Diamond Award and Mobil Four Star Award annually since 1986. The property features elegant guestrooms and more than 26,000 square feet of conference, exhibit and meeting space The golf course and famed �floating green� have annually been rated among the best resort courses in America. The Resort's also boasts a full service, European-style spa. For more information, visit www.cdaresort.com

About Blizzard Internet Marketing
Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc. has provided Web site design, hosting, and promotion to the lodging industry since 1997.  The company is owned by Trent and Susan Blizzard and is located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.  Blizzard Internet Marketing Inc. currently has about 30 employees and more than 2,000 national and international clients.  Eighty-five percent of Blizzard clients are independent lodging properties: bed and breakfasts, hotels, country inns, motels, vacation rentals, cottages and spas. Blizzard executives are often featured speakers at lodging conferences - about 25 a year -- sharing their knowledge on Internet Marketing for hotels and B&Bs. Visit www.blizzardinternet.com.

About Sceptre
Since 1987, Sceptre has helped chains, management companies and independent hotels and resorts increase their sales and profits through channel advisory services, electronic yield management, GDS representation, private-label voice reservations and various consulting services. Sceptre provides electronic distribution power and expertise previously reserved for branded or franchised hotels, with state-of-the-art reservations technology and a strong commitment to customer service and support. Sceptre is one of the key business units of SWAN Inc., a multi-service company focused on the hospitality industry. Other hospitality services of SWAN include Richfield (hotel management), Shield (insurance and risk management) and Source (procurement of operating supplies and FF&E). 

Swan Inc. is headquartered in Denver with approximately 1,000 employees. The company's shareholders include City e-Solutions Limited (CES) listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc, a U.K.-based company listed on the London Stock Exchange, operating 91 hotels worldwide.

For more information, visit www.swanhost.com or www.esceptre.com.

Trent Blizzard, President
[email protected]
970-928-7875
www.BlizzardInternet.com