Branson, MO – Myer Hotels is pleased to announce the celebration and achievement of 40 years in the lodging industry.

Since 1968 Myer Hotels has evolved from a single location, The Elms Motel in O’Neill, Nebraska to five national award-winning properties in Branson, Missouri. The Myer family has been in the lodging business in Branson for over 25 years and currently owns and operates the Best Western Center Pointe Inn, Best Western Music Capital Inn, Comfort Inn West, Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills and the Comfort Inn & Suites in Branson Meadows.

Dedication to excellence, hard work, and commitment to a dream characterize the lives of Carroll and Janice Myer. “What started out 40 years ago when my parents left farming, has steadily grown into a business that has exceeded anyone’s expectations” stated Gail Myer, Vice President of Operations.

Owning motels and hotels in Nebraska, Colorado, Arkansas and Missouri has been the pathway to success of the Myer family. Through the years, Myer Hotels have been innovative in offering luxury hotel amenities at a reasonable rate. Carroll Myer was the first to install such amenities as direct dial telephones in Northwest Arkansas and one of the first to offer indoor swimming pools to Branson. Carroll Myer continues to reinvest and upgrade the hotels on an annual basis looking for the next thing that will make the hotels even better.

Myer Hotels’ commitment to excellence in the lodging industry has been demonstrated by a steady stream of national awards with many from Choice Hotels and Best Western International. Since 1993 the company has received over 75 national awards. Out of more than 1,360 Comfort Inn worldwide locations, The Comfort Inn & Suites in Branson Meadows was one of only three finalists for Comfort Inn of the Year at the 2008 convention. The Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce recently recognized the Comfort Inn & Suites as 2008 Small Business of the Year.

The business has been a family affair with involvement from two sons, Gail and Chris Myer. Gail is the Vice President of Operations; Chris is the Vice President of Marketing. Their wives Mary Ann and Sonja both work in the accounting department. Carroll and Janice Myer focus their time on special projects.

“We appreciate all the relationships and community support that have developed over the years and look forward to continuing our relationship with the Branson community. Branson is a special place and we will do all we can to help maintain Branson as a family friendly destination,” said Gail Myer.

BRANSON, MO – The Comfort Inn & Suites in Branson, Missouri was recently recognized as one of three finalists for Choice Hotels International 2008 Comfort Inn of the Year for the Comfort Inn brand. These finalists represent the “best of the best” among over 1,360 Comfort Inn’s worldwide due to their outstanding guest satisfaction and consistent brand performance.

“These hotels represent the strongest, most consistent performers in our global system,” said Charles A. Ledsinger, Jr., vice chairman and chief executive officer, Choice Hotels. “To receive this recognition is a great accomplishment and the owners, general managers and employees of these hotels should be proud. I know we certainly are.” The Comfort Inn & Suites was also recognized as a finalist for “Inn of the Year” in 2006.

The Comfort Inn & Suites has been also been awarded Choice Hotels Platinum Award for exemplifying exceptional service, facilities and hospitality. “Only five percent of properties in the Choice Hotels system reach this standard” stated Gail Myer, VP of Operations. Chris Myer, VP of Marketing noted, “These awards testify to the fact that our hotel team believes in our mission of ‘Friendly, Fantastic Service Always’ on a daily basis.”

The Comfort Inn & Suites is locally owned by Myer Hotels. In the lodging business for 40 years, the Myer family has actively contributed to Branson’s hospitality market for 25 years and received numerous national awards. Myer Hotels also includes the Best Western Center Pointe Inn, Best Western Music Capital Inn, Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills, and Comfort Inn West.

Branson, MO —The Best Western Music Capital Inn in Branson, Missouri has received the Best Western Chairman’s Award, the hotel chain’s highest honor for outstanding quality standards. The Chairman’s Award recognizes Best Western International hotels with a cleanliness and maintenance inspection score of over 950 points out of a possible 1,000. Hotels must also meet Best Western’s requirements for design and high customer service scores to qualify for the award.

“Receiving the Chairman’s Award from Best Western is a tremendous honor,” explains Gail Myer, Vice President of Operations for Myer Hotels. “This award demonstrates the Best Western Music Capital Inn team’s commitment to providing quality accommodations for our guests. Our housekeeping and maintenance departments have worked hard to achieve this level of excellence.”

The Best Western Music Capital Inn is directly across from the Shoji Tabuchi Theater, Branson’s most popular show, with several other theaters and restaurants within walking distance. The Best Western Music Capital Inn exudes the intimate and personal atmosphere of a small, boutique hotel while providing the amenities and benefits of a large hotel. This combination creates a lodging experience sure to satisfy and lure guests into relaxation. The hotel offers numerous amenities such as their indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, game room, exercise room, gift shop and free deluxe continental breakfast.

“We are excited that the staff has achieved this award once again. The Best Western Music Capital Inn has consistently been one of the top Best Westerns in the country. The hotel has achieved this award several times in the past” said Chris Myer, VP of Marketing. “As a part of the world’s largest hotel chain we get inspected several times a year. This is an opportunity for us to further understand how we compete with hotels across the country as well as have an independent inspector provide feedback to us. This helps us continually improve.

About Myer Hotels
In the lodging business for 40 years, the Myer family has actively contributed to Branson’s hospitality market for over 24 years and received numerous national awards. Myer Hotels includes the Best Western Center Pointe Inn, Best Western Music Capital Inn, Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills, Comfort Inn & Suites Branson Meadows and Comfort Inn West. The properties emphasize excellent locations, countless amenities and exceptional customer service while focusing on great value in the upper mid-scale area.

BRANSON, Mo., ― Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa and Convention Center today welcomes back Doug Knopp as Executive Chef of Branson, Missouri’s only AAA Four-Diamond resort. Knopp previously held the position from 1999 to 2000.

Knopp’s career spans 20 years leading the culinary teams of AAA Four- and Five-Diamond properties, including 11 years at the Four Seasons Hotels in Toronto, Houston, Vancouver, and on Nevis Island in the Caribbean. Knopp’s work has been featured in Southern Living magazine and in Hemispheres, United’s in-flight magazine.

During his tenure as executive chef at the University of Virginia’s Boar’s Head Inn, the AAA Four-Diamond property received the Virginia Wine Restaurant of the Year Award, along with several awards and distinctions from Wine Spectator magazine.

In 2001, Knopp became the opening executive chef for the Westin St. Louis, a $75 million, 255-room luxury hotel. During his four-year term at the Westin, the hotel received AAA’s Four-Diamond Award both years.

Stephen Marshall, vice president and general manager of the 301-room Chateau on Table Rock Lake, said he is delighted about Knopp’s return. “His commitment to providing outstanding quality and service will ensure that guests of the Chateau continue to receive world-class gourmet dining and convention banquet services,” Marshall said.

The Chateau, under Knopp’s culinary leadership in 2000, hosted a Miss USA Pageant VVVIP stationed dinner for 2,200 attendees including Donald Trump, pageant contestants, judges, and dignified guests.

“The Miss USA event at the Chateau is by far my most memorable career experience,” Knopp said. “I’m looking forward to hosting many other large-scale events such as this at the Chateau in the coming years.”

The originator of the Chateau’s Vintner Dinner Series and the Chef’s Table cooking demonstrations, Knopp said he plans to continue hosting intimate and interactive events as well, to give guests the opportunity to sample fine wines and learn gourmet-cooking techniques.

Knopp began his duties at the Chateau on April 21, 2008 and will oversee a culinary team of 30 for banquets and at the Chateau’s five restaurants and lounges, including the 150-seat Chateau Grille, recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.

To contact Executive Chef Doug Knopp directly, call (417) 334-1161 or via email at [email protected].

Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa and Convention Center

Located five miles from Branson’s entertainment center, high atop a mountain overlooking Table Rock Lake, Chateau on the Lake features 301 graciously appointed rooms and suites that offer luxurious amenities. Balconies with spectacular views of the lake, resort marina and bounteous gardens enhance guest accommodations. The property’s 43,500 square feet of meeting space makes Chateau on the Lake the largest hotel convention facility in Branson, and the newly opened 14,000-square-foot Spa Chateau offers one-of-a-kind therapeutic massages, rejuvenating body and facial treatments and other fitness & wellness packages for any occasion. Chateau on the Lake is owned and managed by Springfield, Missouri-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts.

Reservations

To make a hotel reservation or to book a group function, call 1-888-33-LAKE (5253), contact your travel agent or visit the hotel’s website at www.chateauonthelake.com. The resort can also be booked under the following GDS codes: Amadeus LM SGF396, Galileo LM 83422, Sabre LM 35627 and Worldspan LM 02396.

John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts

John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts is the nation’s leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites, including: Embassy Suites Hotels, Renaissance, Marriott, Radisson, Residence Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Holiday Inn and Courtyard by Marriott brands. With 76 hotels strategically located near demand generators, such as state capitals, universities, airports, corporate headquarters or office parks in secondary and tertiary markets, John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts’ properties are dominant in their markets. Over the course of his impressive career in the hotel business, Mr. Hammons has developed 199 hotels. For more information about John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, please visit the company’s website at www.jqhhotels.com.

Branson.com is excited to announce that they have released a new section of their site: Branson.com/Gadgets. The free gadgets allow Branson-related websites to display show schedules, Branson area events, and Branson weather.

All of these gadgets automatically stay up-to-date through the Branson.com internal sytems. This allows a Branson website to just copy and paste a gadget into their site and no longer need to worry about their website staying current.

With so many hours spent by countless businesses attempting to keep current with Branson show schedules, events and weather, this will take the burden off of a website’s need to update constantly and allow them to focus on other areas of their site.

To get Branson.com Gadgets for your site, go to www.Branson.com/Gadgets.

For more information or questions please call: 417-334-2360

Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa & Convention Center today announced plans to host a series of intimate vintner dinners highlighting wines of Missouri and elegant cuisine prepared by executive chefs from around the state.

The first of the Chateau Vintner Dinners will be held on Friday, January 26, 2007 in the Private Dining Room of the Chateau Grille. Reservations are also being accepted for upcoming Chateau Vintner Dinners on February, 23, 2007 and March 23, 2007. A visiting winemaker and chef from Missouri will host each dinner.

Winemaker Daniel Alcorso from Crown Valley Winery and Executive Chef Drew Poniewaz from Tiger Ridge Restaurant, both in Ste. Genevieve, will serve as guest hosts on January 26th. A dinner reception begins at 6:30p.m. followed by a five-course meal featuring Norton-braised Crown Farm Beef Short Ribs and seared Crown Farm Bison Loin prepared by Chef Drew. Guests will have the opportunity to sample five of Crown Valley's most outstanding wines including the Muscat Canelli 2005, Norton 2005 and Vignoles "Late Harvest" 2005. Reservations are required and guests must be 21 years of age. The price per person is $85.00 pus tax and gratuity. Seating is very limited.

Guests are also invited to attend an afternoon cooking demonstration and sampling with Chef Drew and Chateau Executive Chef Anthony Burke beginning at 2:00p.m., January 26, 2007. This informal and entertaining afternoon with the Chefs will feature samples from Crown Valley Winery. Reservations are required and guests must be 21 years of age. The price per person is $25.00 pus tax and gratuity.

Chateau on the Lake is proud to spotlight Crown Valley and other Missouri wineries to help bring attention to Missouri's professional winemaking industry. "First-time visitors at the Chateau are often very surprised by what they find," said Chateau Vice President and General Manager Stephen Marshall. "When I visited Crown Valley Winery, I had the same reaction. It's a very professional operation in a beautiful rural setting. We wanted to bring a piece of it here for our Vintner Dinner Series so that our residents and visitors could experience the unique pleasure of fine wine together with expertly-prepared gourmet cuisine."