Atlanta, GA -- September 4, 2008 -- Atlanta-based Hotel Equities recently celebrated the opening of the 70-room Country Inn & Suites in Albany, GA with a ribbon cutting and open house. Hotel Equities holds the management contract for the all-new property located at 2809 Nottingham Way. Beth Britto serves at the General Manager and Luciana Jones is the Operations Manager for the hotel. The owner of the hotel is SAGU, LLC.

Albany Mayor Willie Adams, Jr. addressed the invited guests and helped cut the ceremonial ribbon. He welcomed the city's first Country Inn & Suites hotel and noted the guests it will serve and the jobs it will bring to Albany. Other dignitaries at the event included Fred Cerrone, President and CEO of Atlanta-based Hotel Equities; Navin and Lasti Patel, hotel owners; Lisa Riddle, Director of the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau; Donna Gray, Sales Director of the Albany Chamber of Commerce; and Winston Oxford, Director of the Lee County Chamber of Commerce.

The hotel features a heated indoor pool, hot tub, sauna and exercise room. Other amenities include a complimentary hot continental breakfast and a 75-person capacity meeting room. The hotel offers a variety of guest rooms including standard rooms, studio suites, one bedroom suites, Jacuzzi rooms and an extended stay suite. All rooms feature both complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, a hair dryer, 32" flat panel television, microwave and refrigerator.

This Country Inn & Suites property is conveniently located less than ten miles from Dougherty City Airport. The hotel is situated close to both Grand Island golf course and Double Country Club Tennis courts.

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson embraces the love of reading through its Read It & Return Lending Library. A variety of titles for all ages are available for guests to borrow and read at their leisure at more than 450 locations in the U.S. and Canada and Country Inns & Suites supports literacy efforts through charitable donations.

"We are happy to introduce the first Country Inn & Suites to the Albany area," said Fred Cerrone, President & CEO of Hotel Equities. "I know this beautiful new hotel will be welcomed by the community and visitors alike."

Hotel Equities (HE) is an Atlanta-based full-scale hotel management, development and consulting firm. Frederick W. Cerrone, CHA, serves as President and CEO. HE presently has 30 properties in its portfolio. For more information, visit www.hotelequities.com.

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson is part of Minneapolis, Minn.-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide, whose operations also include Regent Hotels & Resorts; Radisson Hotels & Resorts; Park Plaza Hotels and Resorts and Park Inn.

Contacts: Margaret M. Jones, Margaret M. Jones Public Relations,
770.934.2170

Mary Beth Cutshall, Director of Business Development, Hotel Equities, 678.578.4444, x. 16

Andrew Pace, Director of New Development, 678.578.4444, x. 23