"New York is a critically important U.S. market, and we continue to expand our presence there," said Thomas F. Hewitt, chief executive officer at Interstate. "The Best Western is our first hotel on the vibrant Lower East Side and our first project with Ben Wong, a well respected and progressive entrepreneur. Our management pipeline remains quite active, with current owners being an important source of new business."

"Our growing New York portfolio also includes five hotels that we operate elsewhere in the state, bringing our total to 14 hotels statewide," said Leslie Ng, chief investment officer. "This cluster strategy allows us to take advantage of significant operating synergies and economies of scale. New York remains one of the most robust markets in the nation, and we continue to drive performance for our owners."

Located at the intersection of the Bowery and Grand Street in the heart of Chinatown and Little Italy, the eight-story Best Western hotel is within walking distance of SOHO, Tribeca, a short subway ride to Broadway theaters, the Wall Street financial district and the Brooklyn Bridge. The hotel is also proximate to several major city attractions, such as Trinity Church, the World Trade Center memorial and Battery Park. Hotel amenities include a complimentary continental breakfast, an exercise facility and a business center. Guestrooms feature high-speed Internet access.

About Interstate Hotels & Resorts 

As of today, Interstate Hotels & Resorts has ownership interests in 56 hotels and resorts, including seven wholly owned assets. Together with these properties, the company and its affiliates managed a total of 225 hospitality properties with approximately 46,000 rooms in 36 states, the District of Columbia, Russia, Mexico, Canada, Belgium and Ireland. Interstate Hotels & Resorts also has contracts to manage 15 to be built hospitality properties with approximately 3,600 rooms. For more information about Interstate Hotels & Resorts, visit the company's Web site: www.ihrco.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, about Interstate Hotels & Resorts, including those statements regarding future operating results and the timing and composition of revenues, among others, and statements containing words such as "expects," "believes" or "will," which indicate that those statements are forward-looking. Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, including the volatility of the national economy, economic conditions generally and the hotel and real estate markets specifically, the war in Iraq, international and geopolitical difficulties or health concerns, governmental actions, legislative and regulatory changes, availability of debt and equity capital, interest rates, competition, weather conditions or natural disasters, supply and demand for lodging facilities in our current and proposed market areas, and the company's ability to manage integration and growth. Additional risks are discussed in Interstate Hotels & Resorts' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Interstate Hotels & Resorts' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.

Carrie McIntyre
SVP, Treasurer
(703) 387-3320