EXHIBIT 99.1
(ARLINGTON HOSPITALITY LETTERHEAD)
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT:
James B. Dale, Chief Financial Officer Jerry Daly or Carol McCune
847-228-5401 x 361 703-435-6293
jimdale@arlingtonhospitality.com jerry@dalygray.com
ARLINGTON HOSPITALITY, INC. ANNOUNCES MARCH 2004 RESULTS;
OPENS AMERIHOST INN HOTEL IN WEIRTON, W.V.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 21, 2004--Arlington Hospitality, Inc.
(Nasdaq/NM: HOST), a hotel development and management company, today announced
March 2004 same-room operating results for the AmeriHost Inn hotels in which the
company has an ownership interest. Arlington also announced the opening of a new
AmeriHost Inn hotel in Weirton, W.V.
MARCH RESULTS
Same-room revenue per available room (RevPAR) in March 2004 increased
2.6 percent to $30.38, compared to March 2003. Occupancy increased 1.1 percent
to 54.8 percent, and average daily rate (ADR) increased 1.3 percent to $55.42.
The March 2004 same-room results include 54 AmeriHost Inn hotels which have been
opened for at least 13 months.
<Table>
<Caption>
One Month Three Months
Ended Ended
March 31 March 31
--------- ------------
Occupancy - 2004 54.8% 48.5%
Occupancy - 2003 54.2% 48.9%
Increase (decrease) 1.1% (0.8%)
Average Daily Rate - 2004 $55.42 $55.60
Average Daily Rate - 2003 $54.70 $54.48
Increase (decrease) 1.3% 2.1%
RevPAR - 2004 $30.38 $26.95
RevPAR - 2003 $29.65 $26.66
Increase (decrease) 2.6% 2.3%
</Table>
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According to Smith Travel Research, preliminary results for March 2004
indicate that RevPAR for the midscale without food and beverage segment of the
lodging industry will improve between 6 percent and 8 percent, compared to March
2003.
SALES/DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
As previously announced, the company sold two wholly owned AmeriHost
Inn hotels in March 2004, generating gross proceeds of $7.1 million, of which
$3.9 million was used to payoff the related mortgage debt. The revenue and
profit/loss from the sale of hotels, as well as the reduction of debt, will be
reported in the company's financial statements during the quarter in which the
sale transactions close.
On April 7, 2004, the 79-room AmeriHost Inn & Suites opened in Weirton,
W.V. This hotel was constructed by Arlington for a joint venture in which the
company is a partner.
Currently, the company has four hotels under contract for sale, which
are expected to be consummated within the next six months. When the company has
hotels under contract for sale, even with nonrefundable cash deposits in certain
cases, certain conditions to closing remain, and there can be no assurance that
these sales will be consummated as anticipated.
The sales and development activities and amounts set forth above, do
not represent guidance on, or forecasts of, the results of the company's entire
consolidated operations, which are reported on a quarterly basis.
For more information regarding Arlington's hotels for sale and
development opportunities either on a joint venture or turnkey basis, contact
Stephen Miller, Senior Vice
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President - Real Estate and Business Development via email at
stevem@arlingtonhospitality.com, or by telephone at (847) 228-5401, ext. 312.
ABOUT ARLINGTON HOSPITALITY
Arlington Hospitality, Inc. is a hotel development and management
company that builds, operates and sells mid-market hotels. Arlington is the
nation's largest owner and franchisee of AmeriHost Inn hotels, a 104-property
mid-market, limited-service hotel brand owned and presently franchised in 22
states and Canada by Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD). Currently, Arlington
Hospitality, Inc. owns or manages 63 properties in 17 states, including 56
AmeriHost Inn hotels, for a total of 4,590 rooms, with additional AmeriHost Inn
& Suites hotels under development.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical, including
statements regarding management's intentions, beliefs, expectations,
representations, plans or predictions of the future, and are typically
identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend,"
"estimate," "may," "will," "should," and "could." There are numerous risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
set forth in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of these factors,
see the Company's report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 under
the section headed "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations - Risk Factors."