Omni Hotels announced today their plans to reenergize the company`s growth strategies by promoting James Kuthy to vice president of development and business analysis and appointing Scott Johnson as vice president of development. Reporting directly to Jim Caldwell, president of Omni Hotels, the duo will take on the responsibility of growing the brand in target cities such as Phoenix, Minneapolis and Toronto, as well as in other strategic markets in Florida, Hawaii and along the West Coast.

Kuthy, who joined Omni Hotels in 1994, will be primarily responsible for strategic review and analysis of potential acquisitions, development opportunities, and management agreements with the main objective of adding value to the brand, as well as marketing the company to the investment and financial communities. Kuthy who most recently served as regional controller for Omni Hotels, brings over 21 years of hotel industry experience to his new role.

Johnson`s main focus will be to source all expansion activities, as well as develop strategic relationships that will generate management agreements and acquisitions. Johnson will employ his strong relationship building skills, along with more than 8 years of sales and marketing experience, to achieve Omni Hotels` expansion goals. Johnson most recently directed the business development department for an on-line financial services company based in Fort Worth and served as an aide to President Bush during the 2000 presidential campaign.

“We have maintained a controlled and sensible growth strategy over the past several years,” said Jim Caldwell, president of Omni Hotels. “With Jim and Scott in place, our development team will now be much more proactive in searching for additional means to enter key markets on Omni Hotels` radar screen, while maintaining our focus on providing superior financial results to our owners.”

According to Caldwell, Omni Hotels is now in the unique position of being able to offer the strength of its brand coupled with it`s proven abilities as a hotel managing and owning company to other hotel ownership entities including institutional investors.

Omni Hotels, based near Dallas in Irving, Texas, offers luxury accommodations at 40 hotels and resorts located throughout the United States, Canada andMexico. Each property in the Omni Hotels portfolio provides guests with exceptional four-diamond hospitality, personalized service and exquisite decor, creating a distinctive experience at each location. Omni Hotels offers unsurpassed meeting facilitiesand a wide range of guest services and amenities, including wine tastings, gourmet dining, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, tours of local attractions, and specialized programs. Through an aggressive expansion strategy, Omni Hotels is steadily entering new markets around the world. Guests can locate hotels, book accommodations or find out more about Omni Hotels by calling 1-800-THE-OMNI or accessing the company`s Web site at www.omnihotels.com.

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