WexTrust Capital has a strong history of delivering superior returns to investors through its diverse portfolio of real estate assets.  Since 2003, the company has acquired dozens of properties ranging from office parks and warehouse distribution centers to retail malls and hotels.  WexTrust Capital subsidiary, Wexford Development, is also actively involved in numerous commercial and residential development projects. 

�Hotels and resorts are a logical extension to our diverse portfolio of commercial and residential real estate assets,� said Steve Byers, CEO of WexTrust Capital.  �Our strong expertise in capital and asset management, coupled with Elmer Coppoolse�s international hotelier and hotel operations experience will make Axela a strong force in the hospitality industry.� 

With Mr. Coppoolse serving as CEO, Axela Hospitality will also assume management responsibilities for EMCO Hospitality, Inc., which currently manages The Resort at Glade Springs, a 210-room, 4,000-acre resort complex in West Virginia, and the Netherlands Inn and Spa, a 100-room boutique hotel in Lancaster, Pa.  Axela also manages The Park View, a 200-room boutique hotel in Chicago�s Lincoln Park neighborhood and the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Phoenix, and is under contract to acquire the Wyndham Drake in Oak Brook, Ill.
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November 15, 2007 - Axela Hospitality acquires the Phoenix Crowne Plaza Hotel. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. InterContinental Hotels will manage operations for the hotel. Located at 2532 W. Peoria Avenue near Interstate 17 in Phoenix�s West Valley, the 248-room hotel is 15 minutes from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.  . . �With its strong amenity base and close proximity to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and office locations of several Fortune 500 companies, we see a tremendous opportunity to shift the hotel�s focus from leisure to corporate transient and group business,� said Elmer Coppoolse, CEO of Axela Hospitality.

�Superior management and first class guest services will be hallmarks of Axela hotels and resorts,� said Elmer Coppoolse, CEO of Axela Hospitality.  �We are extremely pleased to have Steve Byers and WexTrust Capital as our strategic partner and parent company in this exciting venture.� 

Prior to founding EMCO Hospitality, Mr. Coppoolse was a development partner and Executive Vice President and COO at SynXis Corporation.  SynXis created internet based software allowing hotels to simultaneously manage their reservation channels in one single dashboard.  Currently more than 10,000 hotels use SynXis� application. 

Prior to SynXis, Mr. Coppoolse was President of Lancaster Hotels and Resorts, an international company with a portfolio of seven properties including:  The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C.; The Lancaster in Houston; The Argyle in Los Angeles; The Tremont in Chicago; The Lodge and Spa at Breckenridge; The Cotton House on the island of Mustique in the Caribbean; and The Inn at Great Neck in Great Neck, N.Y.  While at Lancaster, Mr. Coppoolse helped form the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, which has grown into a consortium of over 400 hotels to date. 

Earlier in his career, Mr. Coppoolse also held senior management positions with Sheraton Corporation, where he was part of the creation of its luxury hotel division, currently known as St. Regis.  Previously, he also worked for Sonesta Hotels & Resorts where he was responsible for the initial development of the Sanibel Harbor Resort, as well as Sonesta's foray into Egypt and Israel.

About WexTrust Capital 
WexTrust Capital is a globally diversified private equity and specialty finance company with a proven track record for protecting its clients� assets and delivering a superior return-on-investment through its diverse portfolio of principal investments.  WexTrust Capital specializes in unique investment opportunities ranging from real estate to specialty finance and investment banking.  Headquartered in Chicago, the company also maintains offices in New York, Norfolk, Va., Atlanta, Boca Raton, Fla., Nashville, Tenn., Tel Aviv, Israel, and Johannesburg, South Africa.  More information can be found at www.wextrust.com. 

David Gutierrez
Dresner Corporate Services, 312-780-7204
[email protected]