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Interstate Hotels & Resorts and LRA Worldwide Partner on New Brand and Quality Initiative
New program to be called IQP, with keen focus on consistency and execution
WASHINGTON, DC/HORSHAM, Pennsylvania; July 1, 2003 - Interstate Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:IHR), the nation's largest independent hotel management company, today announced that it has entered into a partnership with LRA Worldwide to design and implement a company-wide brand and quality assurance initiative.
"This is a very important program for our company," commented Eric DeStefano, Interstate's senior vice president of brand assurance & rooms and related. "As the result of the 2002 merger between Interstate Hotels and MeriStar Hotels & Resorts, we now operate and are responsible for a vast lodging portfolio, with more than 380 hospitality properties, and nearly 82,000 rooms in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Russia. Our objective is to provide our guests with hospitality experiences that consistently meet and exceed their expectations, which will drive loyalty to our properties. This goal requires that we closely monitor and enhance product quality and guest service delivery throughout our portfolio. The program we have jointly developed with LRA Worldwide, called IQP (Interstate Quality Process), encompasses a rigorous inspection and assessment of all key elements of our lodging properties. We are pleased to be partnering with LRA on this important project, as LRA has played a key role in helping a number of leading hospitality and travel companies around the world deliver `world-class´ levels of quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty."
"IQP will be implemented at all of Interstate's independent hotels, as well as certain branded hotels based upon other performance criteria and benchmarks," commented Stan Lashner, COO of LRA Worldwide. Interstate's IQP program will help ensure excellence in product and service delivery throughout the Interstate portfolio. Every element that influences a guest's satisfaction with an Interstate property will be carefully inspected and measured as part of this process. In addition, hotel staff will benefit from the training and development opportunities created by a regular inspection and feedback process," said Lashner.
About Interstate Hotels & Resorts
Interstate Hotels & Resorts operates approximately 380 hospitality properties with nearly 82,000 rooms in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Russia, including 55 properties managed by Flagstone Hospitality Management, a subsidiary of Interstate Hotels & Resorts. BridgeStreet Corporate Housing Worldwide, an Interstate Hotels & Resorts subsidiary, is one of the world's largest corporate housing providers, offering upscale, fully furnished corporate housing throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and 39 additional countries through its network partners. For more information about Interstate Hotels & Resorts, visit the company's Web site: www.ihrco.com.
About LRA Worldwide, Inc.
LRA Worldwide, Inc. is a leading consulting, organizational development and research company that specializes in Customer Experience Management (CEM). LRA helps companies and brands design and deliver the optimal customer experience across all key touch points using an integrated suite of services that measure and improve service quality, customer satisfaction, employee performance, loyalty, customer advocacy and profitability. LRA specializes in "operationalizing the brand" - turning brand promise and customer strategy into operational reality. LRA's CEM practice areas include CEM Strategy Design, Standards Development & Content Management, Organizational Development & Training, Research and Quality Assurance & Mystery Shopping; these are either deployed together in a strategic manner to continually monitor and improve the customer experience or deployed individually to address a specific tactical client need.
LRA's clients include some of the world's leading companies and brands, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, the PGA TOUR, Albertsons Supermarkets, the NBA and First Niagara Financial Group. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.LRAworldwide.com
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