Mr. John Q.
Hammons and the city of Huntsville, Ala. have celebrated the
opening of the new $40-million, 295-suite Embassy Suites Hotel located in downtown Huntsville’s cultural
and entertainment district.The 10-story, contemporary Embassy Suites
Hotel adjoins the city’s 150,000-square-foot Von Braun Center via a
climate-controlled sky bridge and doubles the amount of available rooms in
downtown.  The Embassy Suites Hotel - Huntsville is owned by Mr. John Q.
Hammons and managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels &
Resorts, LLC, the nation’s leading independent builder, developer, owner
and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites (
www.jqhhotels.com).

More than 300 honored guests and friends attended the official
ribbon-cutting celebration at the hotel.  Additionally, the nearby John Q.
Hammons Bridge was dedicated in honor of the hotel’s legendary owner.
Remarks were provided by Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer, the hotel’s
first official guest; Chamber President Dave Hargrove; Mr. John Q.
Hammons, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of John Q. Hammons
Hotels & Resorts, LLC; and Mr. Tim Lewen, general manager of the Embassy
Suites Hotel - Huntsville.

Initial group business sales for the Embassy Suites Hotel - Huntsville
already surpass $2 million.  Among the larger groups booked are the
Alabama League of Municipalities and the Southern Association of State
Highway & Transportation Officials.  Overall, the Embassy Suites Hotel -
Huntsville is expected to generate approximately $15 million to
Huntville’s economy annually.

A sampling of features of the upscale hotel include 7,800 square feet of
meeting space, a spa, coffee house and an on-site Ruth’s Chris Steak
House, which specializes in USDA Prime grade steaks and a New
Orleans-inspired menu.  Ruth’s Chris is also the official food and
beverage provider for the events and in-room dining at the hotel.

“Growth in the city’s national defense and manufacturing sectors has
helped Huntsville become one of the best places to work and live in the
country.  We built a hotel that could be regarded as a community
centerpiece and serve as a testament to the area?s socioeconomic success,”
Mr. Hammons said.

The Embassy Suites Hotel - Huntsville is Mr. Hammons’ second hotel to be
built in Alabama, complementing the company’s portfolio of 70 hotels known
for quality.  Conveniently located just 15 minutes from the Huntsville
International Airport at the intersection of I-565 and Memorial Parkway
South, the new hotel provides easy access for both business and leisure
travelers.

“We appreciate the city’s warm reception with the hotel’s debut and
throughout the building process,” Mr. Lewen said.  “We look forward to
returning exceptional hospitality for many years to come.”
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