CHICAGO – March 02, 2010 – During the first quarter of 2010, Preferred Hotel Group™ added over 30 hotels and resorts (see addendum) to its global portfolio and announced several new strategic partnerships with Mantis Group, Dusit International and Sol Meliá. The addition of these significant new members has brought total membership to more than 750 independent hotels and resorts in over 65 countries across Preferred Hotel Group’s five distinctive brands: Preferred Hotels® & Resorts, Preferred Boutique™, Summit Hotels & Resorts™, Sterling Hotels™, and Historic Hotels of America®.

Next month, Preferred will once again attend ITB Berlin Conference, 10-14 March – the world’s largest travel trade show – re-emphasizing its global commitment to the industry and its members. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John Ueberroth will be on hand to meet with industry professionals and members of the media.

Thanks to a strategic new partnership with boutique hotel company Mantis Group, Preferred Hotel Group™ will become the largest international hotel brand in South Africa, bringing the total number of members in the region to 30. These latest 14 additions to the Preferred family will range from luxury properties in bustling Cape Town, to unique game reserves in Krueger National Park – as well as the renowned Draycott in London.

In January of this year, Dusit International, new one of Asia’s leading hotel groups, unveiled its new global sales and marketing strategy as an extension of their select services agreement with Preferred Hotel Group. The first hotel group in Asia, to switch to the private label chain code BC in the Global Distribution System (GDS) through SynXis Central Reservation System (CRS), Dusit will have access to an extensive global network of travel agents and travel consortia touching in excess of 750,000 terminals worldwide.

A new and significantly important partnership with the Spain-based Sol Meliá, will bring an initial nine of their premier properties into the Preferred Hotels & Resorts family. These notable new affiliations will include three of the hotel group’s stylish ME branded properties, and six of the contemporary and luxurious Gran Meliá hotels which range in location from Cancun, Mexico; Coco Beach, Puerto Rico; and six distinct resort and city destinations in Spain.

Attending ITB Berlin Convention 10-14 March, 2010? Visit Preferred Hotel Group in Hall 9 at Booth #212 to hear the company and its members latest news, and meet Preferred Hotel Group’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John Ueberroth. Should you wish to speak with Mr. Ueberroth, please contact Regional Director, Christian Hribar regarding an appointment:

Christian Hribar
Regional Director, Central Europe – Preferred Hotel Group
Phone: +49 89 1434093 0　| direct +49 89 1434093 20
E-mail: chribar@preferredhotelgroup.com

About Preferred Hotel Group™

Celebrating 42 years of excellence, Preferred Hotel Group™ is a leading global provider of high-performance sales, marketing and technology support to individually owned and operated hotels and resorts, with over 700 members in over 75 countries. Established in 1968, Preferred Hotel Group today comprises of five distinct brands – Preferred Hotels® & Resorts (www.PreferredHotels.com), Preferred Boutique™ (www.PreferredBoutique.com), Summit Hotels & Resorts™(www.SummitHotels.com), Sterling Hotels™ (www.SterlingHotels.com) and Historic Hotels of Americas® (www.HistoricHotels.org); the fastest-growing guest benefits program in the world, I Prefer™ (www.iprefer.com); and a membership program with entrée to the world’s most spectacular luxury golf resorts, Preferred Golf Club™ (www.preferredgolf.com). For more information, visit www.PreferredHotelGroup.com.

In Fall 2007, the company entered the luxury real estate market with the launch of Preferred Residences™ – a membership and exchange program for luxury shared ownership resorts that provide an exceptional level of service and amenities. Properties are held to exacting standards derived from the same Preferred Global Standards of Excellence™ on which the company has built its 41-year heritage in the hospitality industry. For more information, please visit www.PreferredResidences.com.