| ORANGE, Calif., July 22, 1998 - Los Angeles-based
Windsor Hospitality Group
today announced it has acquired the Washington Suites Hotel in Orange,
Calif., located just five minutes from Disneyland, and converted the property
to a three-story Hawthorn Suites. Located at 720 The City Drive South and
Interstate 22, the hotel is open for business.
Having undergone a multimillion-dollar face lift, the hotel is positioned near the intersection of Interstate 5 and Interstate 22, just a short distance from Disneyland, the Anaheim Convention Center, Newport Beach and the Orange County Airport. Windsor's Hawthorn Suites features 123 two-bedroom suites, significantly
larger than those in a traditional hotel and each with its own fully-equipped
kitchen to cater to the needs of extended-stay According to Patrick Nesbitt, Windsor's chairman, the company's Orange hotel conversion represents not only a prime value-added project for Windsor but also a unique opportunity to tap the influx of vacation and business travelers to this popular destination. "Our latest acquisition is strategically located in one of California's most frequented leisure travel regions," Nesbitt said. "With Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and Crystal Cathedral in close proximity, our Hawthorn Suites is the perfect stop for extended-stay guests." "I know that together we will be able to offer families coming to Disneyland everything they need for a comfortable stay, " said Mike Leven, president and chief executive officer of Atlanta-based US Franchise Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: USFS), which acquired the franchise rights to the Hawthorn Suites brand in 1996 and full ownership in March 1998. The conversion of the Washington Suites Hotel to a Hawthorn Suites represents Windsor's fifth agreement with US Franchise Systems over the last 18 months, including hotel projects in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson, Ariz., and Las Vegas. Company Information Based in Atlanta, US Franchise Systems, Inc.
was formed in August 1995 by Michael A. Leven, a 38-year veteran of the
lodging industry, and Neal K. Aronson, former principal of a New York investment
firm, when the company purchased the franchise system rights to Microtel
Inn, Microtel Suites and Microtel Inn Suites, the all-newly constructed,
interior corridor budget hotels. The company, traded on the Nasdaq
National Market System using the symbol USFS, acquired the franchise rights
to Hawthorn Suites, the extended- stay chain, in 1996 and full ownership
of the brand in March 1998. USFS also recently acquired Best Inns
Suites, a mid-level economy hotel brand. USFS is committed to growing,
marketing and servicing unique franchise brands that will provide consumers
and franchisees alike with a product that exceeds their expectations in
quality,
Los Angeles-based Windsor Hospitality Group owns and/or manages a portfolio of 21 hotels, representing 4,431 guest rooms and suites in nine states. Windsor's hotels have significantly outperformed other upscale suite and full-service properties in the industry, and the company operates hotels under the Embassy Suites, Hawthorn Suites, Marriott and Radisson brands. Windsor has extensive experience in hotel development, renovation, finance and management. For more information on Windsor Hospitality Group, visit the company's Web site at http://www.winhotel.com. For Hawthorn Suites reservations, call 1-800-527-1133. Internet users can book and confirm reservations by logging onto Hawthorn Suites' Web site at http://www.hawthorn.com. |
travelers. Guests can enjoy a courtyard with an outdoor swimming pool,
an on-site convenience store, a daily complimentary hot breakfast buffet,
an evening social hour Monday through Thursday and a spacious meeting room.