May 28, 2010--Delaware North Cos. has added a pair of hotels to its growing lodging presence near Yellowstone National Park in Montana.

The Buffalo-based hospitality firm said Thursday it has acquired the Yellowstone Park Hotel and the Gray Wolf Inn & Suites in West Yellowstone, Mont. The new properties join a third hotel, the 123-room Holiday Inn West Yellowstone, that Delaware North acquired a year ago.

By adding the 66-room Yellowstone Park Hotel and the 103 rooms at the Gray Wolf, Delaware North now owns 292 hotel rooms in West Yellowstone. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We provide stewardship and hospitality in special places," said Kevin Kelly, the president of Delaware North's parks and resorts business. "The new properties fit our profile to a tee."

Delaware North also runs the retail stores within Yellowstone National Park under a contract through the U. S. National Parks System.

The company is following an approach that is similar to one it took outside Yosemite National Park, where Delaware North handles most of the visitors services, while also owning the Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite and the Cottages at Tenaya Lodge outside the park.

"This is a model that works well for us," Kelly said.

Delaware North is in the midst of a major expansion of its hotel and lodging holdings, acquiring eight lodging properties during the last year. The company now owns 11 resorts, including six in North America and five in Australia.

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