Today Omni Hotels has crossed the Canadian border. With the acquisition of Montréal`s Westin Mont-Royal Hotel (formerly the Four Seasons hotel), Omni Hotels marks its entry into the Canadian hotel market and sets the tone for its luxury hotel expansion internationally. Renamed H™tel Omni Montréal, the award-winning hotel is recognized as one of Montréal`s finest lodging and dining destinations.

“As part of our international growth plans, we recognize the importance of growing our North American distribution,” says Omni Hotels President Jim Caldwell. “Montréal is a magnificent, cosmopolitan city and the Mont-Royal is a fabulous hotel. We are thrilled to be able to introduce the Omni Hotels brand to Canadawith such an exceptional product.”

Caldwell says the acquisition of the Montréal hotel is in keeping with Omni Hotels commitment to grow its luxury brand in key business and leisure travel markets.

“While we are aggressively seeking new opportunities, we do not view our business as a race - unlike some of our competitors,” says Caldwell. “We have made a commitment to our customers to provide a consistent, four-diamond product - consistent in service and quality. Our growth will be selective, targeted, and in keeping with our long-term business plan.”

$5.5 MILLION (U.S.) RENOVATION
In addition to the acquisition, Omni Hotels announced plans for a $5.5 million (U.S.) renovation of the property scheduled to begin this summer. Renovations to public areas and banquet facilities are planned for this June, with guest room refurbishing scheduled to begin in the fall.

NEW GENERAL MANAGER - JOY PAPPAS
Joy Pappas joins H™tel Omni Montréal as the new General Manager. She is the first woman to join the select circle of four-star hotel general managers in Montréal. A graduate of Concordia University she has also completed a management program at Cornell University. Pappas brings to her position extensive experience in marketing and sales gained primarily at several hotels in New York City. Most recently she was executive assistant general manager at the Loews H™tel Vogue in Montréal. .

FIVE-STAR, FOUR-DIAMOND HOTEL
Nestled in the heart of the city`s downtown business and entertainment district at the corner of Peel and Sherbrooke Streets, the five-star, four-diamond rated H™tel Omni Montréal has an established reputation for being a “home away from home” for some of Canadas most sophisticated travelers including celebrities like Céline Dion, Madonna and Luciano Pavarotti.

This modern and classic hotel blends French culture and style with Canadian heritage and European-influenced service. One of Montréal`s most renowned hotels, it features 300 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, suites and penthouses; a state-of-the-art fitness center; outdoor heated pool with adjoining whirlpool and terrace; award-winning cuisine (Opus II, Zen cuisine chinoise); multilingual concierge staff; more than 16,000 square feet of function space and some of the finest professional meeting services the city has to offer.

The hotel is the recipient of the 1998 Pinnacle Award from Successful Meetings Magazine and Gourmet Magazine has named it among the top five hotels in Eastern Canada for the last two years.

“The H™tel Omni Montréal will maintain the reputation of being comfort and service driven as customers have come to know it,” says Caldwell. “Our Montréal guests will lack for nothing in the wayof services and amenities.”

Since undergoing new ownership and management in 1996, Omni Hotels has invested nearly three quarters of a billion dollars in new developments, property upgrades, the installation of state-of-the-art technology systems and a company-wide food and beverage overhaul - all in keeping with Omni Hotels plan to improve quality and service to become the consistent four-diamond hotel company of choice.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Omni Hotels is a privately owned chain of 43 first-class and luxury hotels and resorts located throughout the United States, Mexico, and now, Canada. Omni Hotels properties offer four-diamond services ranging from gourmet dining, fitness facilities, tennis, golf, wine tastings, tours of local attractions, music festivals and children`s activities. Omni Hotels will continue an aggressive agenda for expansion in North America and internationally. For more information on Omni Hotels, call 1-800-THE-OMNI or visit the company Web site at www.omnihotels.com.

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