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INTERSTATE HOTELS SIGNS ONTARIO HILTON AGREEMENT

ARLINGTON, Virginia - Interstate Hotels & Resorts has signed a long-term contract to manage the 309-room Ontario Airport Hilton in Ontario in Southern California.

The hotel is owned by JER Partners, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, and will soon  undergo a $5 million renovation.

The renovation will improve the facility's guestrooms, ballroom, meeting space, and mechanical / engineering departments. Additionally, the existing restaurant and lobby lounge will be reconfigured into additional meeting space and a combined restaurant / lounge.

The property is 50 miles west of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California's "Inland Empire" and convenient to the area's key demand generators and attractions, including the Ontario Mills outlet mall, the Ontario Convention Center, and the Ontario International Airport.
The Ontario Airport Hilton consists of a 10-story tower and an additional two-story wing. Hotel amenities include more than 15,500 square feet of meeting space; 60-seat restaurant; lobby lounge; outdoor, heated pool; gift shop; concierge lounge; valet dry cleaning and high-speed Internet access.

The hotel's ninth and tenth floors are concierge levels, and all rooms have balconies. The seventh and eighth floors are designated for "H-Honors" guests and have upgraded amenities.

Interstate Hotels & Resorts operates approximately 300 hospitality properties with more than 63,000 rooms in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Russia, and Portugal.
 
LJ INTERNATIONAL TO EXPAND INTO AUSTRALIA

LOS ANGELES - Fine jewelry maker LJ International (LJI) has received initial orders from the largest home shopping network in Australia, representing LJI's debut into that country. 

The network, which cannot be named for competitive reasons, is 20% owned by the second largest home shopping network in the US, a new LJI customer as of late 2003.

Established in 1998, Australia's largest home shopping network recorded sales growth of 36% on rising profitability in its last fiscal year. It broadcasts in Australia, New Zealand and, now, in China to over 64 million households through its cable and over-the-air affiliates.  In addition to TV- based sales, it also sells via direct mail and brick-and-mortar retail stores.

Jewelry represents one of its major product categories along with watches, collectibles, electronics, home accessories and other products.

The move into Australia is part of the LJI's strategy to expand further into the Asian market, particularly China, where it recently opened a 5,000-square-foot showroom in Hong Kong's jewelry district and is market its ''Lorenzo'' brand of upscale jewelry through franchises and ''eMotion'' online-sales kiosks.

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