"The Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Chateau represents another step in our new growth strategy to quadruple the number of rooms we have under management to over 10,000 within the next four years," said William J. Otto, president & CEO of Marcus Hotels and Resorts. "We currently are negotiating management contracts with a number of other owners, and will consider the acquisition of small to mid-sized management companies in an effort to expand our management portfolio in an aggressive yet controlled manner. Our goal is to be one of the nation's top 10 management companies in term of rooms under contract, while still providing a high level of personal attention from senior management to each owner."

Located on the southeast corner of State Highway 249 and Willowchase Blvd., the six-story hotel will be within minutes of numerous corporate headquarters, office complexes and retail outlets, including Compaq(R) World Headquarters, the new Methodist Health Care System(R) community health center and the Willowbrook Mall.

"We looked at a number of management companies and were particularly impressed with Marcus' expertise in development and management and their track record for quickly ramping up properties to profitability," said William Karrington, president of Forum Development, the project developer and owner. "We anticipate other opportunities to use their expertise as we continue our expansion."

Karrington said Forum is aggressively seeking other development projects. "We have the capital and the appetite to build top-quality hotels in locations throughout the U.S. and believe now is a great time to develop with the current reduced competition for land and more reasonable construction costs."

Scheduled to open later this fall, the Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Chateau will feature approximately 5,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space, a 24-hour complimentary business center, an on-site laundry facility, restaurant and lobby lounge, fitness center and swimming pool. Additionally, the hotel will feature a Pavilion Pantry(TM) convenience mart adjacent to the front desk with refreshments and sundries available for purchase.

"Research shows that technologically-savvy travelers want a hotel in the northwest Houston region with a home-like atmosphere equipped with the latest business amenities and services," said William Karrington. "The Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Chateau caters to those needs with an ergonomic chair, oversized desk, desk-level outlets, two-line phones, high-speed Internet access and adjustable lighting."

The Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Chateau hotel development will be the 11th property for Marcus Hotels, bringing the number of rooms currently managed or under development to more than 3,100. The hotels are found in five states and include branded and independent full service hotels and resorts in the luxury, upscale, and mid-market segments of the lodging industry.