Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Receives Gallup Great Workplace Award 2008

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Country Inns & Suites By Carlson to receive award as a part of Gallup Summit 2008

MINNEAPOLIS, April 10 // PRNewswire // -- Country Inns & Suites By Carlson today announced that it will receive the Gallup Great Workplace Award during a gala on May 14, 2008, in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Gallup Great Workplace Award is based on the most rigorous workplace research ever conducted. A panel of workplace experts evaluated the award-winning organizations. Country Inns & Suites is among the winners because its results demonstrate that its system of hotels has one of the most productive and engaged workforces in the world.

During the Summit, May 13-15, 2008, Great Workplace Award winners will present the best practices they applied to their workplace and the improved business results they achieved through building an engaged workforce.

"The winners of this award have established a new global standard for engaging people," said Tom Rath, who leads Gallup's Workplace and Leadership Consulting practice. "When compared to the millions of workgroups we have studied around the world, the awardees have worked tirelessly to create an environment that values people. They go far beyond trivial perks to ensure that each employee has an emotional connection to the company's mission and growth."

"We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to creating a brand culture where great people are encouraged to do great work," said Steve Mogck, executive vice president of Franchise Operations for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. "The Country Inns & Suites 'Be Our Guest' service philosophy empowers the employees of hotels to not only treat our guests with genuine hospitality but to feel like the hotel is their home away from home. This attitude is at the core of the Country Inns & Suites brand and is a big factor behind our success with our guests and with system-wide employee engagement."

About Country Inns & Suites By Carlson

As a leader in the mid-scale hotel segment, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson locations feature residential architecture and home-like interior design with highlights that include hardwood flooring, lobby fireplace and front porch.

Each hotel offers many upgraded amenities such as complimentary hot breakfast, in-room hair dryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, and weekday morning newspaper. The brand is known for its consistently high quality accommodations and personal, warm hospitality. Country Inns & Suites provides an in-house lending library program at its hotels in the U.S. and Canada which lends free books to guests based on the assurance they will return the book on their next visit. Since the inception of the lending library, the company has contributed nearly $350,000 to literacy organizations across the country, which help both children and adults improve their reading skills.

Reservations can be made online at http://www.countryinns.com, through a travel agent or by calling toll-free at 800-456-4000. There are more than 435 locations worldwide. Country Inns & Suites By Carlson(R) is part of Minneapolis, Minn.-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide whose brands also include Regent Hotels & Resorts; Radisson Hotels & Resorts(R); Park Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts and Park Inn(R).

Carlson Hotels Worldwide is one of the major operating groups of Carlson, a global leader in providing marketing, travel and hospitality services. Other names among the Carlson family of brands and services are: Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Carlson Marketing, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, T.G.I. Friday's and Pick Up Stix restaurants. Carlson corporate headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minn.

About the Gallup Great Workplace Award

The Gallup Great Workplace Award recognizes the best-performing workforces in the world. Applicants' results are compared across a workplace research database composed of millions of work teams in more than 100 countries. A panel of workplace experts assesses the applicants' results to select the winners.

The award's weight and design equal the merit of the winners' accomplishments. To create the award, Gallup designers collaborated with R.S. Owens & Company, the company that produces many of the world's most prestigious awards, including the Academy Award. The award consists of two components: The top design features 12 etched crystal planes, layered to convey the kinetic energy of an engaged workforce. The crystal sits atop a concave-shaped pedestal base composed of polished silver-plated legs and a satin-finish front display. The combination of these parts results in a piece that evokes the nature of engagement.

SOURCE Country Inns & Suites By Carlson

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