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La Quinta confirms top jobs

La Quinta has confirmed Wayne B. Goldberg as the new President and Chief Executive Officer and Alan L. Tallis as President and Chief Development Officer.The appointments follow the close of the acquisition by affiliates of The Blackstone Group on January 25, 2006.

Mr. Goldberg will direct the company on a day-to-day
basis and will have responsibility for all company-owned assets and corporate
support departments.  Mr. Tallis will oversee all acquisitions, development
and franchising activities for both the La Quinta and Baymont brands in
support of the company’s aggressive growth strategy going forward.
  Jonathan D. Gray, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of Blackstone’s
Real Estate Group, said, “We are delighted to welcome the appointments of
Wayne and Alan, two hotel industry leaders with demonstrated talent and
strength. Both of these individuals were pivotal in leading La Quinta
Corporation prior to the acquisition. We expect that under their leadership,
the company will continue to outperform its competitors and will grow
aggressively.”
  Mr. Goldberg has more than 27-years experience in the lodging industry.
Prior to joining La Quinta in 2000 Goldberg held executive management
positions at Red Roof Inns, Inc. and BridgeStreet Accommodations where he
served as Chief Operating Officer.  Mr. Tallis is a 26-year veteran of the
lodging industry.  He joined La Quinta in 2000, most recently serving as
Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer and President of
Franchising. He previously held executive management positions at Red Roof
Inns, Inc. including General Counsel and Executive Vice President-Development.
  “Following the acquisition, we will continue to build and develop our
lodging business, by investing in our properties, exceeding guest’s
expectations and making La Quinta a great place to work,” said Mr. Goldberg.
  “We will continue aggressive growth of our company through a combination
of quality acquisitions, new development and franchising. Under Blackstone’s
leadership, we are especially interested in pursuing new acquisition
opportunities and we will move quickly to assess the best opportunities
available,” added Mr. Tallis.
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