The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, November 7, 2008 � Benchmark Hospitality International has been named the "Hispanic Hotel Management Company of the Year" by the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association (HHOA).  The honor came in the Estrella Awards Competition, hosted by the organization.  Benchmark's award was presented at a gala held during the association's first Global Hotel Investment, Development, Management Conference, which occurred recently in Miami. 

�This is a tremendous honor for our company,� said Burt Cabañas, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Benchmark Hospitality International.  �To be recognized by our peers within the industry is something we hold very special.  To receive this award from our Hispanic lodging colleagues is a tremendous honor for me and for the entire team at Benchmark Hospitality.  We are grateful for this recognition.�

"We were thrilled with the number and quality of award nominations received,� stated Angela Gonzalez-Rowe, president of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association. �This year�s winners, including Benchmark Hospitality International, exemplified the best of the best in our industry and have set the standard for future Estrella nominees. It is HHOA's goal to recognize those who exceed industry expectations and set a new standard of excellence both foreign and domestic within the hospitality industry.�

The Hispanic Hotel Owners Association serves as an indispensible resource to its members by offering educational programs and a business network designed to build an awareness of opportunities for Hispanics within the lodging industry.  These include employment, procurement and development opportunities.  HHOA provides members with the resources, support and information to assist them as a hotel developer, owner and operator.

The Estrella Awards Competition was launched this year by the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association to spotlight outstanding Hispanic achievements within the lodging industry.  The competition included multiple entry opportunities within two major areas:  The �Hispanic Owned and Operated or Managed Hotels� category, and the Hispanic �Pillars of Excellence� category, recognizing outstanding professionals and Hispanic organizations within the lodging industry.  The nominees were reviewed by an independent panel of judges.
In receiving the Hispanic Hotel Management Company of the Year Award, Benchmark Hospitality International was recognized as an exemplary Hispanic-owned management company with a proven record of success in upholding and exceeding brand and customers� expectations.  With the award, Benchmark was also recognized as a responsible corporate citizen that continually gives back to the communities it serves.  

Benchmark Hospitality - Hispanic Hotel Management Company of the Year

Founded in 1980 by Burt Cabañas, who was born and raised in Cuba, Benchmark Hospitality International has become one of the top hospitality management companies in the United States, with a portfolio of 30 luxury properties located coast-to-coast, in Hawaii, Japan, and Panama City, Panama.  Within the past year, Benchmark Hospitality has actively expanded into Latin America, establishing offices in Santiago, Chile, adding projects in Panama, and is developing opportunities in Chile and Costa Rica.  The company is also pursuing hotel and resort opportunities in Spain.  

Closer to home, Benchmark Hospitality International actively celebrated its Hispanic heritage by aligning with Five-time Grammy Award-winning Gloria Estefan, and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan, Jr., with the opening of Costa d�Este Beach Resort in Vero Beach, Florida.  Owned by the Estefans, the resort is operated by Benchmark Hospitality.

Benchmark Hospitality International actively supports literacy programs at the corporate level and in markets across the country through the company�s global outreach initiative, the Hometown Hospitality Caring for our Communities program.  Recognizing the importance of literacy in his own life when a young Cuban immigrant, Burt Cabañas is passionate about assisting others in a similar quest toward literacy.

The Estrella Awards are an honor of distinction sponsored by the Hispanic Hotels Owners Association www.hhoa.org. The HHOA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the number of Hispanic-owned, -developed and -operated hotels, further the participation of Hispanic-owned suppliers serving the hotel industry and increase executive level employment opportunities for Hispanics within the lodging industry.  

Benchmark Hospitality International is a leader in the management and marketing of resorts, conference centers, hotels, and Personal Luxury Hotels�.  The privately held company, launched in 1980, is a founding member of the International Association of Conference Centers.  Benchmark is a worldwide organization operating over 30 properties representing major metropolitan and resort destinations.   Benchmark's international headquarters is located in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston, with regional offices in New Jersey and Connecticut.  International offices are located in Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile. For locations of properties and additional information, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com.  

Ken Ellens
Ken Ellens Communications 
201-758-2864 / 201-758-2865-Fax
[email protected]