LONGVIEW, TX (May 18, 2006) Lodging Host Hotel Corp announced today that two of their managed hotels have received first place awards from the East Texas Tourism Association. The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Longview South was awarded “Best Hotel Property” by the East Texas Experience FAM (Familiarization) Tour who visited the northern sector of East Texas. The Waltz Across East Texas FAM Tour covering the southern section awarded “Best Hotel Property” to the Comfort Suites in La Porte, Texas. The East Texas Tourism Association coordinated both February 2006 East Texas FAM tours for independent and corporate tour bus operators.

Voting on the prestigious awards were 30 bus tour operators from 18 companies and thirteen states including Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Howard Rosser, executive director of the association, said the purpose of the tours is to strengthen and increase East Texas’ share of the growing $15 billion motorcoach tour business. The Waltz Across East Texas FAM Tour awarded second and third Best Hotel Property Awards to MCM Elegante in Beaumont Texas and Southfork Ranch Hotel in Plano, Texas. Runners up for the East Texas Experience FAM Tour, Comfort Suites Texarkana and Hampton Inn Texarkana, tied for second place. Third place went to La Quinta Inn in Lufkin. Combined the tours visited 22 East Texas cities and experienced overnight accommodations at twelve hotels.

The awards were presented May 11th at the Awards Luncheon of the 43rd Annual East Texas Tourism Association Conference in Beaumont, TX. During this 3-day conference, speakers offered their expertise regarding downtown restoration, retirement of the baby boomers, promoting and hosting bus tour groups, knowing your market and developing hospitality, sports tourism, funding issues for the State Park system and additional tourism related topics.

The weeks included valuable seminars for beginners and professionals in the tourism market.

“We are very pleased with both the Comfort Suites La Porte and the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Longview South”, said Jenifer Johnson, Director of Marketing, Lodging Host Hotel Corp. “Both of these award-winning hotels continue to thrive with excelled customer service, clean guest rooms, and wonderful staff. The staff at both hotels deserves congratulations for their superb service.”

The East Texas Tourism Association is the nation’s oldest member-funded organization and publishes the East Texas Vacation Guide, East Texas Heritage Trail Fun Map East Texas Group Tour Manual and maintains a website www.easttexasguide.com.

To learn more about the first place hotel properties selected by East Texas Tourism Association FAM tour operators, visit www.laportehotel.com and www.longview-hotel.com.

Lodging Host has operated as a hospitality development and management company based in Longview Texas since 1984. They currently operate fourteen hotel properties in Texas, Virginia, Indiana, Florida, and New Mexico. InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton Hotels, Choice Hotels, and Best Western International have recognized Lodging Host Hotel Corp for having top hotels within their franchisees. For more information regarding Lodging Host Hotel Corp, visit their website at www.lodginghost.com.