Crybabies Diner Prototype Debuts.

AMARILLO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 1999--

-The Holiday Inn-Amarillo I-40 has completed a comprehensive $2.5 million renovation that has upgraded virtually every area of the hotel. The property is now home to the new Crybabies Diner, an original dining concept being tested in Amarillo for possible development in select hotels nationwide.

The Holiday Inn's innovative restaurant incorporates a nostalgic "retro" design, complete with "Route 66" running through the restaurant's floor. Constructed to better adapt to the fluctuating volume of diners, a common dilemma among hotel restaurants, Crybabies Diner is able to provide numerous service styles. In addition to offering traditional seating and table service, the restaurant can quickly convert to an arrangement where guests seat themselves and partially serve themselves. The restaurant also offers one third booth seating, one third conventional tables, and one third counter seating, which creates a more alluring setting for single diners such as business travelers.

The Crybabies menu features hamburgers, blue plate specials, and other "comfort food" preferred by both families and business travelers. The menu was created to offer value and variety; nothing is priced higher than $6.75.

"Crybabies Diner offers high quality food in a casual setting," said Gary Opdahl, general manager of the Holiday Inn-Amarillo I-40. "This is a fun place to bring the family, with our 'no fussin', good food' philosophy and relaxed dining atmosphere."

Located in the heart of Amarillo's professional district, Crybabies Diner has also attracted the attention of the city's business population. According to Opdahl, the number of business community diners during lunch hours has increased significantly since Crybabies replaced the hotel's original restaurant, the Brass Lantern.

The Coca-Cola Company has also supported the prototype diner by investing in on-site promotion of its brand. In exchange for being the exclusive soft drink provider for Crybabies Diner, Coca-Cola provided funding for menus and a number of other Coke logo items throughout the restaurant, including a neon sign and napkin holders. Coca-Cola is also using the Crybabies Diner for its own advertising and promotions.

Additional construction revitalized the entire Holiday Inn-Amarillo I-40. The hotel's 247 guest rooms received new floor and wall coverings, beds, furniture, lighting, bedspreads, artwork and draperies. In the lobby, new wall coverings, draperies and furniture were installed. Banquet and meeting spaces were updated with new wall and floor coverings and new lighting. Exterior renovations include the addition of a new porte cochere, parking lot and an updated roof line.

The hotel has meeting accommodations for groups of up to 250, and a wide range of meeting equipment is available. Professional meeting planners, as well as banquet and catering managers, are on staff.

Located at 1911 I-40 East, the Holiday Inn-Amarillo I-40 is convenient to Wonderland Amusement Park, Discovery Center, shopping facilities and movies theaters. The hotel is 20 miles from Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum and the "Texas" musical drama. Several major corporations, including Corning Glass and Pantex, are also nearby.

The Holiday Inn-Amarillo I-40 is designed to serve both the business and leisure traveler. Guest room amenities now include coffee-makers, hair dryers, irons, ironing boards, in-room voice mail and data-ports. The Holidome recreation center features an indoor heated pool, whirlpool, video games and a sun deck.

The hotel's renovation is part of Bass Hotels & Resorts' $1.5 billion modernization program of all Holiday Inns nationwide. Initiated in 1994, the program provides for upgrades and renovations to exteriors, public areas and guest rooms. The program is a "rolling" initiative, which will effectively rejuvenate the entire Holiday Inn system every seven years.

The Holiday Inn-Amarillo I-40 is operated by Dallas-based Bristol Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:BH) and owned by FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated (NYSE:FCH). Bristol Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:BH) is one of the largest independent hotel operators in the United States and operates the largest number of Bass Hotels & Resorts branded hotels in the world. Bristol's 110 hotels include nearly 30,000 rooms in 24 states and Canada. The company's hotels operate primarily in the mid-priced to upscale segments of the industry and are located in 19 of the top 25 lodging markets in the United States. Bristol operates nearly 90 Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn properties and is a leading franchisee in Bass' $1.5 billion modernization program. By the year 2000, Bristol will have overseen the investment of $400 million in the redevelopment of Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels. Bristol offers additional information and reservations capability on its Web site: http://www.bristolhotels.com.

FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated (NYSE:FCH), is one of the nation's largest hotel real estate investment trusts (REITs). Since its initial public offering in 1994 with six hotels and 1,479 suites, FelCor's portfolio has grown to 188 hotels with nearly 50,000 rooms and suites. The company's hotel portfolio is primarily concentrated in the upscale and full-service segments. FelCor is the owner of the largest number of Embassy Suites(R), Crowne Plaza(R), Holiday Inn(R) and independently owned Doubletree(R)-branded hotels. Other leading hotel brands under which FelCor's hotels are operated include Sheraton Suites(R), Sheraton(R) and Westin(R). FelCor has a current market capitalization of approximately $3.2 billion. Additional information on the company can be found on the Web at http://felcor.com.

Notes to editors: Media may reproduce photography of the hotel. High-resolution scans are available at http://www.bristolhotels.com/hys/HIAmarillo or request photo prints and press kit from Amy Lambert, Bristol Hotels & Resorts, 972/391-3505.