WEH Westcoast Hosp Cp

Red Lion - Brand on the Move; Adds the Red Lion Hotel Tacoma SPOKANE, Wash., April 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WestCoast Hospitality Corporation (NYSE:WEH) today announced the addition of the Red Lion Hotel Tacoma to its franchise network. With this addition, Red Lion Hotels now has 20 properties throughout the State of Washington and 61 properties across the United States and Canada. The addition of the Red Lion Hotel Tacoma is consistent with Red Lion's growth strategy of franchising quality hotels in key markets that support the brand's efforts to move travelers through its expanding network. WestCoast Hospitality Corporation previously announced its plans to invest $40 million on its owned Red Lion Hotels to improve hotel quality by increasing customer comfort, freshening decor and modernizing with new technology "We believe this addition of the Tacoma franchisee and the recent addition of the Red Lion Hotel on the River in Portland, Oregon show the attention the franchise community is giving to our investment plan for the Red Lion brand," said John Taffin, Executive Vice President Hotel Operations for WestCoast Hospitality Corporation. The 119 room Red Lion Hotel Tacoma is a full service hotel that recently reopened after a multi-million dollar renovation. The improvements to the hotel include updated bathrooms that feature granite countertops, tile floors and curved shower rods. The guest rooms have been updated with plush beds, new furniture, carpet, drapes, bedding, refrigerators and microwaves. The lobby and other guest spaces have been beautifully remodeled to enhance the overall guest experience. The renovations at the Red Lion Hotel Tacoma are consistent with the standards being introduced as part of Red Lion's investment program. Amenities at the Red Lion Hotel Tacoma include free wireless high speed internet access, a fitness center, a business center and a new indoor swimming pool and spa that is expected to be completed in May. The hotel is located at 8402 S. Hosmer Street, Tacoma, Washington and conveniently located just off the Interstate 5 within minutes of Ft. Lewis Army Base, McChord Air Force Base, the Tacoma Mall and downtown Tacoma. Tacoma is home to the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, museums, premier galleries and excellent shopping. "We are delighted to be a Red Lion Hotel," said Kris Williams, the General Manager of the hotel. "The well known Red Lion brand and the capital improvements we have made will make the hotel an attractive destination for business and leisure guests." John Taffin said, "The Red Lion Hotel Tacoma is a great addition to the Red Lion Brand. It fits well with the Red Lion's strategy of providing new guest value through locating high quality hotels in primary markets." WestCoast Hospitality Corporation is a hospitality and leisure company primarily engaged in the ownership, management, development and franchising of upper mid-scale, full service hotels under its Red Lion(R) and WestCoast(R) brands. In addition, through its entertainment division, which includes its TicketsWest.com, Inc. subsidiary, it engages in event ticket distribution and promotes and presents a variety of entertainment productions. G&B Real Estate Services, its real estate division, engages in traditional real estate-related services, including developing, managing and acting as a broker for sales and leases of commercial and multi-unit residential properties. Contact: Julie Langenheim Title: Investor Relations Manager Phone: 509-777-6322 Internet: http://www.redlion.com/ http://www.westcoasthotels.com/ http://www.ticketswest.com/ http://www.g-b.com/ DATASOURCE: WestCoast Hospitality Corporation CONTACT: Julie Langenheim, Investor Relations Manager of WestCoast Hospitality Corporation, +1-509-777-6322 or Web site: http://www.westcoasthotels.com/

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