Bass Proposes Name Change to `Six Continents' Emphasizing the Global Spread of the Business.

Business Editors

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 2001

Bass PLC, one of the leading global hospitality groups, announced today that, subject to shareholder approval, it will change its name to Six Continents PLC.

The name Bass and the red triangle trademark were sold with the Bass Brewers business in August last year. A condition of the sale was that Bass ceases using that name by August 21, 2002.

Six Continents was selected for its representation of the global spread and aspirations of the group, which operates in nearly 100 countries across six continents.

The name was also selected for some very powerful practical reasons:

      --  Bass already owned the name Six Continents through its Six
        Continents Club worldwide loyalty scheme.
      --  It was achieved at a relatively low cost (approximately
        [pound]375,000 for creation).
      --  The name Six Continents is protectable - it has passed
        rigorous legal and marketing checks and is registered all over
        the world.

In addition, there was staff involvement from the beginning of the search for the new name, with Six Continents being suggested by an employee as part of a Group-wide competition.

A new symbol has also been developed to reinforce the name in a manner that is intentionally clean and distinctive and which works well across all applications.

Shareholders will be asked to approve the name Six Continents at an extraordinary general meeting on July 20, 2001. Subject to the approval of shareholders and the Registrar of Companies, the change of name to Six Continents PLC is likely to be implemented on July 30, 2001.

Chief Executive, Tim Clarke said:

"Today we are no longer a brewer, but a global hospitality group, with a clear focus on international hotels and leisure retail.

"Six Continents is a name which emphasises the global spread of the company and a name which will soon become synonymous with our strong hospitality service brands."

Notes to Editors:

Bass is an international leisure hospitality group operating in hotels, leisure retail and branded drinks.

      -   Bass Hotels & Resorts is the world's leading global hotel
        group whose brands include Inter-Continental Hotels and
        Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn, Express
        by Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites. It owns, operates or
        franchises more than 3,200 hotels and over 500,000 guest rooms
        in nearly 100 countries around the world.

      -   Bass Leisure Retail is the UK's leading managed restaurant,
        pubs and bars group with over 2,000 outlets including brands
        such as Vintage Inns, Harvester, Toby, Browns, All Bar One,
        It's A Scream, O'Neill's, Edwards, Ember Inns and Goose.

      -   Britvic Soft Drinks is one of the leading UK producers and
        distributors of branded soft drinks with brands such as Tango,
        Robinsons, Britvic and the UK franchise for Pepsi.

      Please refer to www.bass.com for more information on the company,
including press releases and the proposed symbol in colour.
      Picture Editors, please refer to www.newscast.co.uk for a
downloadable copy of the proposed symbol in colour.

DID YOU KNOW?

      --  Bass Hotels & Resorts operates over 3,200 hotels, providing
        more than 500,000 rooms in nearly 100 countries.

      --  Bass Leisure Retail operates an estate of over 2,070
        restaurants, pubs and bars, of which about 920 are branded.

      --  Bass employs over 85,000 people around the world.

      --  Bass Hotel & Resorts is the world's leading global hotel
        group, with brands including Inter-Continental Hotels and
        Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn,
        Staybridge Suites and Express by Holiday Inn.

      --  The scale of our business creates economies, which enable Bass
        to support an infrastructure which includes a reservation
        system delivering $1.4 billion of annual system revenue, loyalty
        programmes with over 10 million members and a rapidly growing
        e-commerce network with 1.4 million room nights from its own
        websites.

BASS HOTELS & RESORTS

      --  Acquisition of 79 Posthouse hotels for (pound)810 million in
        April 2001 - an important move forward in mid-scale strategy
        of international growth based on strong positions in the
        world's leading economies.

      --  Acquisition of the Regent Hong Kong hotel for (pound)241
        million in May 2001 - a high profile flagship which enhances
        our leading position in China and will drive further growth
        throughout the region.

      --  Bass established clear leadership in the Asia Pacific hotel
        market with the acquisition of the Southern Pacific Hotels
        Corporation in January 2000.

      --  Bass Hotels & Resorts is extending its mid-market brands of
        Express and Holiday Inn in eight key hotel markets: USA,
        China, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

BASS LEISURE RETAIL

      --  Bass Leisure Retail is the UK's leading managed restaurant,
        pubs and bars group with brands such as Vintage Inns,
        Harvester, Toby, Browns, All Bar One, It's a Scream,
        O'Neill's, Edwards, Ember Inns and Goose.

      --  Disposal of 988 smaller unbranded pubs for(pound)625 million
        in February 2001.

      --  About 130 outlets added to the branded estate (mainly Vintage
        Inns, Harvester, Toby Carvery, It's A Scream, Ember Inns and
        Goose) with the majority being part of the former Allied
        Domecq estate.

      --  Average weekly takes increased to more than (pound)13,000 and
        over (pound)17,000 for 900 branded outlets.

      --  Conversion of 178 of the 550 former Allied Domecq sites with
        average weekly take uplifts of more than 50 percent.

BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS

      --  Britvic Soft Drinks is one of the leading UK producers and
        distributors of branded soft drinks, with brands such as
        Tango, Robinson, Britvic and the UK franchise for Pepsi.