THO Thistle Hotels

RNS Number:4406K
Thistle Hotels PLC
11 May 2000


                     TRADING UPDATE

At  the  Annual General Meeting today, David  Newbigging,
Chairman,  made  the following comments  in  relation  to
current trading:

"During the first 16 weeks of the current financial year,
we  achieved a 4.3% revenue growth overall for our  core*
hotels  over the same period last year which  included  a
7.8% increase in revenue in our London hotels.

"While  this comparison with the previous year was helped
by  the  fact  that  the quieter Easter  period  occurred
during  the first 16 weeks of 1998, we continue  to  make
progress  with  the initiatives and strategy  which  were
outlined in the Annual Report.

"Since  the  announcement of the Preliminary  Results  in
March,  we  have completed the sale of the remaining  two
hotels from the original list of 38 hotels identified  in
1998  for  disposal, bringing the total  cumulative  cash
proceeds  realised  from  these disposals  to  over  #114
million.  The acceleration of our hotel upgrade programme
is   progressing  well  with  a  further  1,278  bedrooms
upgraded  in  this financial year to date,  bringing  the
total  to 8,100 bedrooms, leaving us on track to complete
the programme by the end of 2001.

"In  the  field of Information Technology, we  have  made
further enhancements to our Web site.  These include  the
introduction of interactive mapping, making it easier for
guests  to locate our hotels, and direct links  to  other
sites  of  value  to our guests such as British  Airways.
Information  on  each Thistle property is now  accessible
via  the new range of WAP-enabled mobile Internet phones.
Today, we are announcing that we have signed a three-year
agreement  with  I-Quest Corporation, a  private  company
operating in the Far East, to install high speed Internet
access in the majority of our hotel rooms.

"Today,  we  are  also announcing a  joint  venture  with
Christopher Gilmour, who operates Christopher's  American
Grill   in   Covent  Garden,  to  open  a   Christopher's
Restaurant at the Thistle Victoria in September 2000."

"In    April   this   year,   the   132-bedroom   Thistle
Middlesbrough  reopened following a  major  refurbishment
programme.   We  are also in discussions  with  potential
partners  to  seek  opportunities to  develop  additional
hotels."


*  Core  hotels are all current trading hotels  excluding
Thistle Middlesbrough which re-opened in April 2000.


For further information:

Ian Burke
Thistle Hotels Plc            020 7723 0101

Nick Denton
Hogarth Partnership Limited   020 7357 9477


Notes to Editors:

Thistle  is  the  largest hotel group in London  with  23
properties in prime locations throughout the Capital.  It
also  has  hotels  in  key regional  cities  of  England,
Scotland and Wales.

Following the sale of The Wellesley in Leeds and the  Dee
Motel  in Aberdeen, there are now 56 hotels in the  group
with a total of 10,725 bedrooms.  In London, Thistle  has
6,347  rooms in 23 hotels and in the regions, 4,378 rooms
in 33 hotels.


END
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