Milwaukee, Wis.� (April 29, 2004) Since the opening of its first California hotel last October, The Golden State has proven successful for Baymont Inns & Suite�so much so that the brand's California expansion is continuing northward to Sacramento.
 

The mid-market hotel chain has a large presence throughout the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest, and continues to seek new opportunities in the West. "Our Ontario hotel has exceeded all expectations in just its first six months," said Jim Abrahamson, president of Baymont Inns & Suites.  �The California market is solid and we want to build a strong presence there.�

Bobby Gosal, president and chief executive officer of Crown Plaza Center, will be the franchise owner of the new Baymont Inn & Suites.  The hotel will be located at Del Paso Road and Interstate 5, and will include three freestanding upscale restaurants, retail and a 60,000 square-foot office plaza.  Gosal, a local businessman and resident of Sacramento, is a developer of various retail centers, office plazas and residential lots.

Partnership commitment

Gosal said he decided to develop a mid-market hotel because of consumer demand for such an option in urban areas.

"I chose Baymont Inns & Suites because, just like Ontario, it�s a product that will succeed here, too," Gosal said.  "It�s a brand with a strong management team that understands the hotel industry.�

In addition to Ontario, and now Sacramento, Baymont Inns & Suites has targeted several other strategic markets in Southern California, including San Diego, Orange County, Anaheim, LAX Airport and Pasadena/Arcadia.  Baymont Inns & Suites also is building a new downtown Chicago hotel, located off the city�s Magnificent Mile, which is scheduled to open in January 2005.

"Baymont Inns & Suites has proven itself to be a strong brand for developers and a popular brand for both business and leisure travelers," said Dan Daniele, president of Baymont Franchises International, LLC.

"We want to increase the number of hotels in the Baymont Inns & Suites system and we see that goal can be accomplished in metro areas where travelers often desire middle-market accommodations instead of the traditional urban choices," Daniele said.

About Baymont Inns & Suites

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Baymont Inns & Suites continues to be a leading brand in the mid-market segment.  Baymont Inns & Suites operates or franchises nearly 180 locations in 32 states nationwide, is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS).