Mr. John Q. Hammons to Build Luxury Embassy Suites(R) Hotel and Conference Center...

Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:45pm EDT

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Mr. John Q. Hammons to Build Luxury Embassy Suites(R) Hotel and Conference Center in Olathe, Kansas, near Kansas City

New Multi-million Dollar Development Marks Fourth for Hammons in
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
OLATHE, Kan. & SPRINGFIELD, Mo.--(Business Wire)--
At the Olathe City Council meeting this evening, John Q. Hammons
Hotels & Resorts publicly announced Mr. John Q. Hammons' plans to
build a luxury Embassy Suites(R) Hotel and adjacent conference center
at the northwest corner of the expanding Corporate Ridge office park
in Olathe, Kansas. The 11-story, 315-suite hotel and conference
center, representing 80,000 gross square feet of meeting space, will
be owned by Mr. Hammons and be managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John
Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, the nation's leading independent builder,
developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts
and suites (www.jqhhotels.com). The hotel and conference center
development agreement is scheduled for Council vote at the City
Council meeting tonight.

With approval of the development ordinance, construction on the
multi-million dollar project is expected to begin in the fall of 2008,
with an opening slated for spring of 2010. Located at K-10 and
Ridgeview Road in Olathe, the land site of the future hotel and
conference center is owned by Opus Northwest, L.L.C., which also owns
and develops the Corporate Ridge development. The 200-acre office park
on the K-10 Corridor houses headquarters of Terracon Consultants, Inc.
and The National Board for Respiratory Care in addition to major
tenants such as Garmin and Farmers Group, Inc.

The Embassy Suites Hotel and conference center in Olathe will
feature a signature John Q. Hammons custom design and will be Mr.
Hammons' fourth development in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. His
other Kansas City properties include the 236-suite Embassy Suites
Hotel Kansas City - International Airport, 116-suite Homewood Suites
by Hilton Kansas City International Airport, and 152-suite Residence
Inn Kansas City International Airport.

"As one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest, Olathe has a
long-term vibrancy I can appreciate. It is predicted that more than
100 companies will relocate to the general Olathe area in the next
five to 10 years," said Mr. Hammons, founder, chairman and chief
executive officer of John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts.

"I plan to build a luxury hotel facility with flexible, advanced
meeting accommodations that will rival anything in the Kansas City
metropolitan area, and I anticipate a positive outcome with the
Council's vote," Hammons said.

Mr. Hammons noted Olathe's proximity to the significantly improved
I-70, I-35, I-29, I-435 and K-10 as a major draw for relocating
businesses and hotel and meeting guests.

In addition to being accessible to major employers, local
entertainment and attractions, such as the Kansas Speedway and new
Bass Pro Shop in Olathe, the new hotel and conference center will be
conveniently located near the bioscience-focused K-State campus
currently being built. It is also near the New Century AirCenter and
the area's six college/university/vo-tech institutions, such as
University of Kansas, Kansas University Edwards Campus, and Johnson
County Community College, comprising a combined student population of
more than 60,000.

About Embassy Suites Hotels

Embassy Suites Hotels properties managed by John Q. Hammons Hotels
& Resorts feature a variety of amenities for both business and leisure
travelers. Beautifully decorated to make guests feel at home, each
spacious, two-room guest suite features a private bedroom and living
room and is equipped with two televisions, refrigerator, wet bar,
microwave oven, coffee maker, two telephones with voicemail,
high-speed Internet access, work desk and in-room safe boxes. Each
hotel also offers a complimentary, cooked-to-order breakfast and a
nightly Manager's Reception(R) with complimentary beverages. Other
features include a relaxing atrium lounge, full-service restaurant and
spacious meeting and conference facilities with hotel staff dedicated
to each group's specialized needs. Site amenities include a fitness
center, indoor pool and sundeck. For more information about John Q.
Hammons Hotels & Resorts' Embassy Suites properties, please call
1-800-EMBASSY or visit www.jqhhotels.com.

About Opus Northwest, L.L.C.

Opus Northwest, L.L.C. is headquartered in Minneapolis, with
offices in Denver, Kansas City, Mo., Portland, Ore., Seattle and St.
Louis, and is one of five regional companies within the Opus Group.
Opus Northwest has developed more than 84 million square feet and
currently has nearly 9 million square feet in planning or under
development. The Opus Group, based in Minneapolis, is a $2.2 billion
premier, full-service real estate development company with 55 years
experience. Specializing in office, industrial, retail, multifamily,
government and institutional development, the Opus Group has completed
nearly 2,450 projects totaling 238 million square feet and currently
has 35 million square feet in planning or development. Opus employs
nearly 2,000 people in 28 offices in the United States and Canada.
Committed to creating great real estate, Opus implements best
practices in sustainable design and construction to maximize building
performance and reduce environmental impact. A community steward since
its inception, the Opus Group is committed to the long-term
development of people and communities by contributing 10 percent of
its pre-tax profits to community organizations. For more information,
visit www.opuscorp.com.

About John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts

Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts is the
nation's leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of
upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites, including: Embassy
Suites Hotels, Renaissance, Marriott, Radisson, Residence Inn,
Homewood Suites by Hilton, Holiday Inn and Courtyard by Marriott
brands. With 76 hotels strategically located near demand generators,
such as state capitals, universities, airports, corporate headquarters
or office parks in secondary and tertiary markets, John Q. Hammons
Hotels & Resorts' properties are dominant in their markets. Over the
course of his impressive career in the hotel business, Mr. Hammons has
developed 199 hotels. For more information about John Q. Hammons
Hotels & Resorts, please visit the company's Web site at
www.jqhhotels.com.

Editor's note: A site plan of the hotel and conference center
development is available on request.

John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts
Scott Tarwater, 417-873-3591
scott.tarwater@jqh.com
or
Publicis PR for JQH Hotels & Resorts
Sheri Smith, 972-628-7766 / 214-454-3969
sheri.smith@publicis-pr.com