Mr. John
Q. Hammons has joined officials from Larimer County and the city of Loveland
to celebrate the progress of construction on the eight-story, 263-suite
Embassy Suites ¬C Loveland Hotel and Spa and adjoining 80,000-square-foot
convention center.Representing the first large-scale development at The
Ranch Fairgrounds and Events Complex since its opening in 2003, the
Embassy Suites ¬C Loveland Hotel and Spa is expected to be the largest
hotel north of Denver to Canada upon its anticipated completion in March
2009.  The all-suite, luxury hotel will be owned by Mr. John Q. Hammons
and managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts,
the nationÁøs leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of
upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites (www.jqhhotels.com).

“We are pleased to be here today with the Larimer County and city of
Loveland officials to see the progress being made on this outstanding
property,” said Mr. Hammons, founder, chairman and chief executive officer
of John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts.  “With the boom in retail and
entertainment development in Larimer County, along with the growing
schedule of events at the fairgrounds and events center, there is a need
to increase the hotel rooms and meeting space in the area.  And we look
forward to returning here in early 2009 to celebrate the opening of the
property.”

Brief remarks were delivered at the press conference overlooking the
hotel’s construction site, with Kathay Rennels, chair of the Larimer
County Board of Commissioners, and Don Williams, city manager for the city
of Loveland, expressing appreciation for Mr. Hammons’ contribution to the
burgeoning development in the area.  Also among the attendees were: Glenn
Gibson and Randy Eubanks, members of the Larimer County Board of
Commissioners; Frank Lancaster, Larimer County Manager; Marc Engemoen,
director of public works, Larimer County; Martin Lind, chair of the
investment group for the Colorado Eagles Hockey Club; Jerry Helgeson,
president, American Eagle Distributing Company; Jay Hardy and Chad
McWhinney, both from Loveland-based McWhinney Enterprises; Rocky Scott,
president of Centerra (a McWhinney Enterprises development); and Rick
Hontz, general manager of the Budweiser Events Center.

“We share Mr. Hammons’ vision for the amazing growth in Larimer County,”
said Kathay Rennels, chair of the Larimer County Board of Commissioners.
“His successful 49-year career in the hotel industry proves that he can
consistently identify the potential in an area and that his investment is
often a catalyst for additional development, so we’re pleased that this
project has come to fruition.”

The Embassy Suites Loveland Hotel and Spa and the adjoining convention
center will reside on 20 acres of land on the northeast quadrant of I-25
and US-34 with convenient access to Greeley; Fort Collins; Estes Park;
Cheyenne, Wyo.; Windsor; Longmont; Boulder; and Denver.  In addition, the
Embassy Suites Loveland Hotel, Spa and Convention Center will be
strategically located near a new 1 million-square-foot, 60-acre shopping
center being developed by Loveland-based McWhinney.  The upscale hotel,
spa and convention center will be next to the Fort Collins-Loveland
Airport and located near several of northern Colorado’s largest economic
drivers, including nearby Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies, Wal-Mart
Distribution Center, Hach Company, and one of Anheuser-Busch’s breweries.

“Loveland is proud to be working with Mr. Hammons and John Q. Hammons
Hotels & Resorts on this investment in Larimer County,” said Don Williams,
city manager for the city of Loveland.  “The hotel and convention center
will allow us to bring more high-profile events and meetings to our
community and will serve as a hub of activity within The Ranch Fairgrounds
and Events Complex for both local patrons and visitors.”
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