Red Lion expects to have 100 branded properties in operation by 2003, concentrated primarily in the Western U.S. and Pacific Northwest. As part of the conversion process, the reflagged Doubletree hotels will participate in an approximate $5 million renovation program to meet system standards and are expected to open under the Red Lion flag by late September. 

"With 29 hotels, we have taken the first step towards achieving a critical mass of 100 hotels in operation by the early part of next century," said James Dina, Red Lion Hotels  Inns chief operating officer. "The Red Lion name has earned a loyal customer following, an advantage that figured prominently in our decision to reliance the brand. We will continue to focus on care, comfort and value with each Red Lion property we add to our system, an approach that will enable us to maintain our reputation as the regional leader in our competitive set." 

Dina noted that franchise interest in Red Lion has been extremely high since the chain announced it would reliance the brand. "We just have added our first new Red Lion Hotel, a 303-room property in Denver. Since our relaunch announcement, we have received numerous calls from interested hotel owners and investors about converting to our brand." 

The nine properties are: 

-- Eureka, California. The 178-room property is located near the Redwood State and National Parks at 1929 Fourth Street. The hotel features the Pacific Grill Smoke House restaurant along with RJ Grin's Lounge. Convention facilities include five rooms with total meeting space of 4,890 square feet, that can accommodate groups of up to 250 people. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool and spa, new fitness center, free parking and courtesy airport transportation. 

-- Redding, California. Within miles of Mt. Shasta and Lake Shasta, the 192- room property is located at 1830 Hilltop Drive. The hotel features Misty's Dining Room, Coffee Garden restaurant and Misty's Lounge. Convention facilities include six rooms with total meeting space of 7,433 square feet, that can accommodate groups of up to 700 people. Hotel amenities include outdoor pool and hot tub, free parking, and courtesy airport transportation. 

-- Pendleton, Oregon. The 170-room property is located at 304 S.E. Nye Avenue. The hotel features two restaurants and a full-service lounge. Convention facilities include eight rooms with total meeting space of 9,769 square feet, that can accommodate groups of up to 700 people. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool and hot tub, free parking and courtesy airport transportation. 

-- Medford, Oregon. Convenient for trips to Crater Lake, the 186-room property is located at 200 North Riverside. The hotel features the Misty's Grill and Coffee Garden restaurants, along with Character's Lounge. Convention facilities include seven rooms with total meeting space of 9,552 square feet, that can accommodate groups of up to 1,200 people. Hotel amenities include two outdoor swimming pools, free parking and courtesy airport transportation. 

-- Vancouver, Washington, The Hotel at the Quay. This 160-room property is located at 100 Columbia Street, within minutes of Ft. Vancouver and Portland, Ore. The hotel features the Pacific Grill and Chowder House restaurant overlooking the Columbia River and a full-service lounge. Convention facilities include 13 rooms with total meeting space of 14,785 square feet, that can accommodate groups of up to 900 people. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, free parking and courtesy airport transportation. 

-- Kelso/Longview, Washington. Near Mt. St. Helens, the 162-room property is located at 510 Kelso Drive in Kelso. The hotel features The Pacific Grill and Coffee Garden restaurants and a full-service lounge. Convention facilities include seven rooms with total meeting space of 8,670 square feet, that can accommodate groups of up to 600 people. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool and hot tub and free parking. 

-- Richland/Hanford House, Washington. The 149-room property is located on the Columbia River at 802 George Washington Way in Richland, within minutes of the Hanford Science Center. The hotel features the Edgewater restaurant and the Players Sports Bar. Convention facilities include 13 rooms with total meeting space of 9,247 square feet, that can accommodate groups of up to 650 people. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool and hot tub, a courtyard for croquet, badminton and volleyball, business center, fitness center, free parking and courtesy airport transportation. 

-- Port Angeles, Washington. The 187-room property is located at 221 North Lincoln on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The hotel features the Port Angeles Crab House Restaurant and Lounge. Convention facilities include three rooms with total meeting space of 3,418 square feet, that can accommodate groups of up to 400 people. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool and hot tub and free parking. 

-- Wenatchee, Washington. The 149-room property is located at 1225 North Wenatchee Avenue. The hotel features The Cityside Cafe and Grizzlies Bar. Convention facilities include seven rooms with total meeting space of 7,678 square feet, that can accommodate groups of up to 650 people. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool and hot tub, free parking and courtesy airport transportation. 

"These properties are ideal candidates for conversion to the Red Lion flag," noted Dina. "They're well suited for the mid-market segment. With Red Lion, owners can now franchise a well-regarded brand name with a strong regional following that best suits their property type." 

Red Lion hotels typically are mid-sized, full-service properties, averaging 150 to 250 rooms, and offer food and beverage service, meeting space and catering. The properties are well-located with comfortable, home-style decor and styling. Average daily rate, depending on location, is approximately $65. 

Red Lion is a wholly-owned Promus Hotel Corporation affiliate. The brand uses Promus' industry-leading reservation systems and Global Distribution System links on a private-label basis. In addition, Red Lion shares a number of key systems with Promus, including accounting, property management systems, human resources, purchasing, information technology and development. 

Founded in the early 1960s, Red Lion quickly became a popular leisure and business hotel brand in the Pacific Northwest with the majority of its properties located along the Interstate 5 corridor. Including the nine hotels to be converted, the current portfolio of Red Lions hotels includes 29 properties with over 4853 rooms located in 9 states. 

Promus Hotel Corporation is one of the world's premier lodging companies with system-wide annual revenues of approximately $5 billion. The company owns, operates or franchises more than 1,300 hotels with more than 192,000 rooms throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Latin America. Promus is the franchisor and operator of the Doubletree Hotels and Guests Suites, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Club Hotels by Doubletree, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn and Suites, Embassy Vacation Resorts, Hampton Vacation Resorts and Red Lion Hotels  Inns brands.