CHICAGO, IL:  Dec. 1997 - Bill Gudenau, chairman of Hotel Partners International, has confirmed the sale of the 145-room Westin Aquila Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska.  The Westin was sold by a private investor to Starwood Lodging Trust for $13.975 million.  Vice president John Karver of Hotel Partners' Chicago office represented the seller in this transaction.

The Westin Aquila Hotel was originally built in 1924 as an office building.  Through the efforts of local developer David Slattery, this historic neo-Georgian building was converted to a four-star hotel and opened as a Westin in 1995.  This boutique and truly unique asset sold for approximately $96,000 per key.  It is Nebraska's only four-diamond hotel.

About Hotel Partners International  Chicago-headquartered Hotel Partners International is the world's premier hotel investment advisory firm.  Services provided to the hospitality investment community include individual hotel and portfolio acquisition and disposition, debt and equity financing and asset management.  Hotel Partners has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Honolulu, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Singapore and Tokyo.