�This is the second property we will manage for Amstar, and we are delighted to have this opportunity to expand our relationship with them,� said Paul W. Whetsell, MeriStar chairman and chief executive officer. MeriStar also manages Amstar�s Doubletree Hotel in the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. �With our marketing expertise in resorts and conference centers and our experience in golf course management, we are confident that we can help make the Nordic Hills Resort & Conference Center one of the finest conference center resorts in the greater Chicago area.�

Located on 108 lush acres 12 miles from O�Hare International Airport, the 228-room resort and conference center also features a sports center and 18-hole golf course. Originally built and opened as a golf course and clubhouse in 1928, the resort was operated as a country club in the 1960s. The current resort and conference center began operation in 1968.

�With the four other hotels that we manage in the Chicago area, we expect to take full
advantage of shared sales and marketing programs, increased purchasing power,
cross-marketing opportunities and additional economies of scale to achieve optimum returns for our owners,� said David McCaslin, MeriStar Hotels & Resorts president.
 

Founded in 1987, Amstar Group, Ltd. is dedicated to the acquisition and development of select real estate properties throughout the U.S. Amstar�s diversified real estate portfolio, valued in excess of $700 million, includes hotel and resort properties, as well as apartment communities and office buildings.  MeriStar Hotels & Resorts operates 235 hospitality and leisure properties with more than 46,000 rooms and 10 golf courses in 34 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Amstar Group, Ltd. Hospitality Portfolio   SunBurst Hotel Scottsdale, Arizona  Doubletree in the Gardens Palm Beach Gardens, Florida  Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown San Diego, California Georgian Terrace Hotel & Towers Atlanta, Georgia Franz Klammer Lodge Phase II Telluride, Colorado

This press release contains forward-looking statements about MeriStar Hotels & Resorts, Inc., including those statements regarding future operating results and the timing and composition of revenues, among others.