Red Lion Hotels to Appoint Harry Sladich Executive Vice President-Sales and Marketing

SPOKANE, Wash., March 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Red Lion Hotels Corporation (NYSE: RLH) today announced that it will appoint Harry Sladich as Executive Vice President – Sales and Marketing. Sladich will add his extensive hospitality sales and marketing experience to the company's strategy for expanding hotel operations and franchise growth in 2010 and beyond. Sladich comes to Red Lion from the Spokane Area Convention and Visitors Bureau ("CVB"), where he has been President and CEO since May 2005.  

Sladich, who will start in his new position at Red Lion on May 3, 2010, has over 27 years of broad experience in successfully operating full and select service hotels and leading hospitality sales and marketing operations. As the President and CEO of the CVB, Sladich was focused on expanding regional corporate, event, leisure and convention business. During his tenure at the CVB, Sladich built a strong marketing team, grew national visibility for the Spokane region and worked successfully with the lodging industry, the film industry and with economic development organizations throughout eastern Washington and North Idaho. Sladich was instrumental in growing the CVB's operating budget by 49% over 4 years. He focused the CVB on developing national group business in the Spokane region and was a leader in regularly bringing top events to Spokane such as the National Figure Skating Championships and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Before joining the CVB in 2005, Sladich was Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Sterling Hospitality, where he was employed for eight years. While at Sterling, he played a key role in developing and expanding Sterling's select service hotel properties, and worked in property development, operations and sales in six western states in which Red Lion operates today.

"This executive-level addition is another in a series of investments Red Lion is making to grow the brand. Harry's extensive knowledge of the lodging industry, marketing and sales will be critical to Red Lion as we intensify our sales effort and work to expand the Red Lion system through franchising," said Jon Eliassen, Red Lion's President and Chief Executive Officer.  

Sladich commented, "I am delighted to join the Red Lion team and look forward to focusing my efforts on growing the Red Lion brand and the company's revenues."

Sladich will join Red Lion on May 3, 2010, and will report to George Schweitzer, Chief Operating Officer.  

About Red Lion Hotels Corporation:

Red Lion Hotels Corporation is a hospitality and leisure company primarily engaged in the ownership, operation and franchising of upscale and midscale hotels under its Red Lion® brand. As of December 31, 2009, the RLH hotel network was comprised of 45 hotels located in eight states and one Canadian province, with 8,671 rooms and 431,244 square feet of meeting space. The company also owns and operates an entertainment and event ticket distribution business. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.redlion.com.

Contact:  Julie Langenheim (509) 777-6322  [email protected]

SOURCE Red Lion Hotels Corporation