1


                                                                    Exhibit 24.1

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

                  KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints Milton Fine, J. William Richardson, Marvin I. Droz and
Kristi D. Bohling, and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and
agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his
name, place and stead, to sign on his behalf, as a director or officer, or
both, as the case may be, of Interstate Hotels Company, a Pennsylvania
corporation (the "Company"), a Registration Statement on Form S-8 or any other
appropriate form, for the purpose of registering under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, 2,400,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share,
of the Company and to sign any and all amendments and any and all
post-effective amendments to such Registration Statement, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact, and
each of them with or without the others, full power and authority to do and
perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and
about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could
do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact
or any of them or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to
be done by virtue hereof.

                                            /s/ W. THOMAS PARRINGTON, JR.
                                           ---------------------------------
                                           W. Thomas Parrington, Jr.

Dated:  June 18, 1997


   2



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints Milton Fine, W. Thomas Parrington, Jr., Marvin I. Droz
and Kristi D. Bohling, and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys-in-fact
and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in
his name, place and stead, to sign on his behalf, as a director or officer, or
both, as the case may be, of Interstate Hotels Company, a Pennsylvania
corporation (the "Company"), a Registration Statement on Form S-8 or any other
appropriate form, for the purpose of registering under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, 2,400,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share,
of the Company and to sign any and all amendments and any and all
post-effective amendments to such Registration Statement, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact, and
each of them with or without the others, full power and authority to do and
perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and
about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could
do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact
or any of them or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to
be done by virtue hereof.

                                               /s/ J. WILLIAM RICHARDSON
                                           ---------------------------------
                                           J. William Richardson

Dated:  June 18, 1997


   3



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints W. Thomas Parrington, Jr., J. William Richardson,
Marvin I. Droz and Kristi D. Bohling, and each of them, the true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, to sign on his
behalf, as a director or officer, or both, as the case may be, of Interstate
Hotels Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), a Registration
Statement on Form S-8 or any other appropriate form, for the purpose of
registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 2,400,000 shares of
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company and to sign any and all
amendments and any and all post-effective amendments to such Registration
Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents
in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
unto said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them with or without the others, full
power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite
and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their substitute or substitutes
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                                                     /s/ MILTON FINE
                                           ---------------------------------
                                           Milton Fine

Dated:  June 18, 1997


   4



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints Milton Fine, W. Thomas Parrington, Jr., J. William
Richardson, Marvin I. Droz and Kristi D. Bohling, and each of them, the true
and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, to sign on his
behalf, as a director or officer, or both, as the case may be, of Interstate
Hotels Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), a Registration
Statement on Form S-8 or any other appropriate form, for the purpose of
registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 2,400,000 shares of
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company and to sign any and all
amendments and any and all post-effective amendments to such Registration
Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents
in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
unto said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them with or without the others, full
power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite
and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their substitute or substitutes
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                                                    /s/ DAVID J. FINE
                                           ---------------------------------
                                           David J. Fine

Dated:  June 18, 1997


   5



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints Milton Fine, W. Thomas Parrington, Jr., J. William
Richardson, Marvin I. Droz and Kristi D. Bohling, and each of them, the true
and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, to sign on his
behalf, as a director or officer, or both, as the case may be, of Interstate
Hotels Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), a Registration
Statement on Form S-8 or any other appropriate form, for the purpose of
registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 2,400,000 shares of
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company and to sign any and all
amendments and any and all post-effective amendments to such Registration
Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents
in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
unto said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them with or without the others, full
power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite
and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their substitute or substitutes
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                                                /s/ R. MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH
                                           ---------------------------------
                                           R. Michael McCullough

Dated:  June 18, 1997


   6



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints Milton Fine, W. Thomas Parrington, Jr., J. William
Richardson, Marvin I. Droz and Kristi D. Bohling, and each of them, the true
and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, to sign on his
behalf, as a director or officer, or both, as the case may be, of Interstate
Hotels Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), a Registration
Statement on Form S-8 or any other appropriate form, for the purpose of
registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 2,400,000 shares of
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company and to sign any and all
amendments and any and all post-effective amendments to such Registration
Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents
in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
unto said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them with or without the others, full
power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite
and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their substitute or substitutes
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                                                  /s/ THOMAS J. SAYLAK
                                           ---------------------------------
                                           Thomas J. Saylak

Dated:  June 18, 1997


   7


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints Milton Fine, W. Thomas Parrington, Jr., J. William
Richardson, Marvin I. Droz and Kristi D. Bohling, and each of them, the true
and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, to sign on his
behalf, as a director or officer, or both, as the case may be, of Interstate
Hotels Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), a Registration
Statement on Form S-8 or any other appropriate form, for the purpose of
registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 2,400,000 shares of
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company and to sign any and all
amendments and any and all post-effective amendments to such Registration
Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents
in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
unto said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them with or without the others, full
power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite
and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their substitute or substitutes
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                                                  /s/ STEVEN J. SMITH
                                           ---------------------------------
                                           Steven J. Smith

Dated:  June 18, 1997