Loews Hotels Sets A New Course For Strategic Development and Brand Enhancements

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. October 14, 2008

NEW YORK, NY, July 18, 2006. Today, at a major industry conference, Loews Hotels announced a major development campaign for the 17-property hotel chain as it sets the stage for the latest chapter in the company's 60 year history. Loews Hotels President Jack Adler presented plans for the company's tactical expansion, which will add 15 new properties to the Loews portfolio over the next five years, and outlined company-wide brand initiatives to further distinguish Loews in the upper upscale category.

In shaping its plans, Loews conducted more than two years of market research with its customers, aimed at addressing everything from future property locations to new services and amenities. The result is a well-defined program to boost its inventory of "Four Diamond and more" properties while ensuring that each hotel is supremely comfortable, vibrant and uniquely local.

"Taking care of our guests has always been our top priority," said Adler. "As we launch this program of growth and enhancement, our guests continue to be our singular focus. Their input has guided this process from Day One and has been an invaluable resource in determining our direction."

Location, Location, Location

Loews Hotels' top priority is to increase distribution. Target cities for the company's expansion include San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Las Vegas, Toronto and Vancouver. Resort locations are also on the drawing board, including a 400 plus room resort in Lake Las Vegas. Slated to open in 2009, it will be Loews Hotels' first property with a residential component, featuring 125 condo hotel units and 350 traditional guest rooms, 40,000 square feet of meeting space and distinctive entertainment facilities.

Service Assurance

Loews Hotels' new brand positioning promises a travel experience that goes beyond AAA Four Diamond standards to delight guests with a supremely comfortable, uniquely local and vibrant travel experience.

To this end, Loews makes guest comfort and intuitive service key points of difference. Twice daily housekeeping, nightly turn-down and a commitment to genuinely personalized service through extensive employee training.

Partnerships also play an important role. In Miami, for example, Loews teams with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse to offer Emeril's South Beach and in New York, a successful partnership with celebrated musician Michael Feinstein promises a vibrant New York cabaret experience for Loews guests.

On the design and d'ecor front, the Loews brand promise ensures that each property has a distinctly local sensibility. In Nashville, for example, the hotels whimsical d'ecor is reflective of the destination's "Music City" moniker.

Investing in Employees

Loews Hotels has more than tripled its training budget in the last year and the investment is paying off. The cornerstone of the training is a branded program called Genuine Personal Engagement designed to help employees read guests' moods and needs while empowering them to satisfy those needs in turn making the guest experience more comfortable. This skill is learned through a compelling curriculum that teaches employees to read attitudinal signals through role-playing and other interactive situations.

Another key component of the training is In The Know - an employee primer that ensures that staff is poised to provide interesting and relevant information on the hotel and the destination. The Loews coursework is varied but its shares a singular objective - empowering Loews' employees to elevate the guest experience by demonstrating a genuine desire to make each stay special.

The Loews Experience

Loews' extensive research inspired several new, customer-relevant initiatives. The first is an enhanced arrival process designed to communicate "the Loews experience" from the moment a guest enters the hotel. Striking the perfect balance between the need for a meaningful exchange and a quick and efficient check-in, the new arrival experience features refreshments, such as coffee or lemonade, and a cross-trained cadre of employees capable of checking in a guest, making a dining reservation or arranging an airport pick-up. Other new Loews standards include twice-daily housekeeping and evening turn-down service.

A final initiative is the Loews Branded Breakfast Experience, a program that further differentiates the brand in the luxury field. The Breakfast at Loews program has several distinguishing features, including an expanded beverage program featuring a custom shaken "juice bar" and specialty press coffee; a chef-selected "breakfast amuse" and a to-go cup of coffee at departure.

Headquartered in New York City, Loews Hotels owns and/or operates 18 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada. Located in major city centers and resort destinations from coast to coast, the Loews portfolio features one-of-a-kind properties that go beyond Four Diamond standards to delight guests with a supremely comfortable, uniquely local and vibrant travel experience. Loews boasts some of the industry's most innovative and successful travel programs, including Loews Loves Kids for families and Loews Loves Pets for discerning animals on the road. For reservations or more information on Loews Hotels, call 1-800-23-LOEWS or check www.loewshotels.com. For reservations or more information on Loews Hotels, call 1-800-23-LOEWS or check www.loewshotels.com.