ATLANTA (July, 2002) - Six Continents Hotels, Inc. (www.6C.com), the world’s leading global hotel group, has appointed Stevan Porter president of Six Continents Hotels - the Americas, following John Sweetwood’s decision to leave the company to pursue other opportunities.

Porter, assumes full responsibility for the Six Continents Hotels’ Americas region, and will report directly to Thomas R. Oliver, Chairman and CEO of Six Continents Hotels. “Steve is one of the premiere hotel operators in the industry and has made significant contributions to Six Continents Hotels since joining the company,” Oliver said.

Prior to joining Six Continents Hotels as Chief Operating Officer of the Americas region in October 2001, Porter was Senior Vice President, Hilton Hotels Corporation and Executive Vice President - hotel operations, with operational responsibility for all company owned and managed hotels.

“His 30 years of experience encompasses brands from Hampton Inns to the Waldorf Astoria, from hotel general manager to senior executive. He is more than ready to lead Six Continents Hotels in the Americas,” Oliver added.

“Steve and John will be working together to ensure a smooth transition in the upcoming weeks,” Oliver said. “John has contributed significantly to the company`s achievements. He has been a driving force behind marketing, operations and service excellence. The company respects his decision and wishes him well with his future endeavors.”

Oliver concluded: “We’ve got great talent and bench-strength in this company, and thus, while there is a new leader at the helm, Six Continents Hotels strategic goals remain unchanged: continuing to build our midscale and upscale brands, upgrading our technology infrastructure, and finding additional ways to increase revenue through operations and major hotel investments around the world.”

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