Winston Hotels, Inc. (NYSE: WXH), a real estate investment trust (REIT) and owner of premium limited-service, upscale extended-stay and full-service hotels, today announced that it has sold the 66-room Hampton Inn in Chester, Virginia, for $3.3 million in cash, net of closing costs.

“We are pleased with the sale of the Hampton Inn in Chester, especially in this tough economic environment, as it is consistent with the Company`s strategy of selectively pruning our hotel portfolio and focusing on investing in certain premium limited service and upscale hotel assets,” said Joseph Green, chief financial officer. “We plan to use the net proceeds to pay down our debt, as we continue to consider investment opportunities in mezzanine debt and hotel assets, through various joint venture relationships that meet our investment objectives.”

Raleigh, North Carolina-based Winston Hotels, Inc., is a real estate investment trust specializing in the development, acquisition, repositioning and active asset management of premium limited-service, upscale extended-stay and full-service hotels, with a portfolio increasingly weighted toward the leading brands in the lodging industry`s upscale segment. The company currently owns or is invested in 52 hotels with 7,200 rooms in 17 states, which includes: 44 wholly-owned properties with 6,141 rooms; a 49 percent ownership interest in three joint venture hotels with 453 rooms; a 13.05 percent ownership interest in two joint venture hotels with 215 rooms; and, a mezzanine financing interest in three hotels with 391 rooms. For more information about Winston Hotels, visit the Winston Hotels Web site www.winstonhotels.com.

In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements. The reader can identify these statements by use of words like “may,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “project,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” or “continue” or similar expressions. These statements represent the Company`s judgment and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual operating results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward looking statements including, but not limited to, changes in general economic conditions, lower occupancy rates, lower average daily rates, development risks including risk of construction delay, cost overruns, occupancy and other governmental permits, zoning, the increase of development costs in connection with projects that are not pursued to completion, the risk of non-payment of mezzanine loans, or the failure to make additional mezzanine debt investments and investments in distressed hotel opportunities. Other risks are discussed in the Company`s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its other periodic reports.

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