ANDERSON, SC (Dec. 5, 2014)– Paragon Hotel Company (PHC), which owns and manages 20 properties in four states, today announces the purchase of the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Airport (North), expanding into the Atlanta market for the first time. ATL Hotel Group LLC, a PHC subsidiary, purchased the 174-room hotel at 3437 Bobby Brown Pkwy, Atlanta, Ga., from Airport Developments LLC, a subsidiary of Hotel Evolution Inc. The deal, which involved no brokers, is valued at $26 million.

“Paragon Hotel Company is excited about growing the organization’s portfolio and entering the nation’s largest airport market serving more than 45 million passengers annually,” says Mitesh Patel, executive vice president of the Anderson, SC-based company.

The hotel is PHC’s ninth Hilton property, with another underway – a Homewood Suites in Lynchburg, Virginia. GE Capital provided financing for the purchase, the second time Paragon has turned to the Norwalk, Conn.-based lender with $514 billion in assets as of 2013. “Working with them on an earlier transaction made this second one that much smoother,” Patel says, “and with PHC’s expanding footprint, they saw a solid, risk-free opportunity for our entrance into this continually growing market.”

The Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta features a rich wood interior and modern décor – only five miles from the center of the South’s largest city; the hotel is one mile from the airport, with round the clock complimentary airport shuttle service. The hotel, which also houses The Garden Grille & Bar, includes in-room amenities such as: a 37-inch LCD HDTV and an in-room hospitality center, featuring a microwave, refrigerator and Keurig coffeemaker, perfect for preparing tasty treats from the 24-hour Pavilion Pantry® located in the lobby. The hotel also boosts over 4,300 square feet of meeting and banquet space that can accommodate everything from corporate meetings to private family celebrations.

About Paragon Hotel Company

Founded in 1995, PHC is a hospitality real estate management and development company based in Anderson, SC. The company’s vision, “constantly challenging the status quo,” complements its mission to acquire, develop and manage a portfolio of unique properties and lifestyle experiences for the enjoyment of our guests, while delivering exceptional financial results to investors and positively impacting the surrounding communities. The company’s portfolio of more than 2,100 rooms in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee includes hotels within Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Best Western, Choice, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide franchises.

About Hotel Evolution

Hotel Evolution, LLC, founded in 2006, is a privately-held hospitality management, development, and consulting company headquartered in Norcross, Georgia. Employing over 150 people, the company and its affiliates presently own and manage 4 hotels comprising of 442 rooms located in the southeastern United States. Hotel Evolution’s team is famous for paying attention to the smallest details and guest comforts in order to exceed all service expectations. They are, “Superior Hotels Evolving in the Spirit of Hospitality”.

OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE – The facilities associate at the Comfort Inn-Oak Ridge, TN not only works through his disabilities, he works through the Emory Valley Center, which works through the Oak Ridge Comfort Inn that gave Bill Roberson a full-time job. The nonprofit agency’s Supportive Employment program matches special people like Bill, who works to keep the hotel tidy while meeting guests and making them happy.

Emory Valley Center likes the arrangement, too—so much so that EVC named the Comfort Inn-Oak Ridge its Business of the Year.

“Of course, we’re proud of the award,” says Troy Patel, general manager of the Paragon Hotel Company property in eastern Tennessee. “But we’re exceptionally proud of Bill, and we’re proud of the opportunity we have had to provide him a job that makes our guests happy and makes him happy, too.”

Barbara Davis, director of EVC’s Workforce Development, says the agency’s clients always bring “the right attitude. You can’t train for attitude. It comes with someone or it doesn’t, and our individuals come with that right attitude.”

EVC, which grew out of a program started in 1955 to help families of children with various handicaps, is grateful to Patel and his team. Comfort Inn’s participation in the EVC employment program helps disabled people overcome barriers. “And if we can get them in the community working,” Davis says, “it helps them help themselves and help the community.”

For more information about Paragon Hotel Company, visithttp://www.phc-hotels.com.

About Paragon Hotel Company

Founded in 1995, PHC is a hospitality real estate management and development company based in Anderson, SC. The company’s vision, “constantly challenging the status quo,” complements its mission to acquire, develop and manage a portfolio of unique properties and lifestyle experiences for the enjoyment of our guests, while delivering exceptional financial results to investors and positively impacting the surrounding communities. The company’s portfolio of more than 2,100 rooms in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee includes hotels within Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Best Western, Choice, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide franchises.

GREENVILLE, SC – Homewood Suites–Greenville scored gold-medal reviews when the Para-Cycling Road World Championships rolled into South Carolina’s Upstate, bringing para- athletes from New Zealand and Venezuela and fans from around the country to the award-winning hotel.

“The Homewood team worked hard to create a home away from home for the cyclists who have overcome so much on their way to success,” says Ann Kies, director of sales for Paragon Hotel Company, which owns & manages the extended-stay hotel at 102 Carolina Point Parkway, only minutes from Greenville’s alluring downtown. “Our team so impressed the athletes that the cyclists took tons of pictures with the staff so that they could tell everyone back home about the new friends they’d met here,” Kies says.

The New Zealand and Venezuelan teams returned home with more than memories, too, winning a total of seven medals from the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) event that drew 291 athletes from 44 countries competing in relay events, time trials and road races.

Homewood Suites Greenville earned gold-medal commendations from others guests, too.

“The hotel was extremely accommodating,” Robert R. Mebane says in a five-star review. And Claire D. Duluth, in another five-star post, adds: “We visited Greenville to attend the Para- Cycling Road World Championships. We met friends there from around the country … (and) they came over to our room to watch college football on Saturday afternoon between races and to cool off. Everyone was wonderful! Fantastic staff. Very clean. Great food!”

Homewood Suites Greenville belongs to the Hilton brand that J.D. Power & Associates have awarded “Highest in Guest Satisfaction among Extended Stay Hotel Chains” four years in a row, and the Greenville hotel is part of Paragon Hotel Company’s property portfolio. For more information about the company, visit http://www.phc-hotels.com.

About Paragon Hotel Company

Founded in 1995, PHC is a hospitality real estate management and development company based in Anderson, SC. The company’s vision, “constantly challenging the status quo,” complements its mission to acquire, develop and manage a portfolio of unique properties and lifestyle experiences for the enjoyment of our guests, while delivering exceptional financial results to investors and positively impacting the surrounding communities. The company’s portfolio of more than 2,100 rooms in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee includes hotels within Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Best Western, Choice, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide franchises.

ANDERSON, SC – When Billy Hedden arrives for work every day, he’s out to engineer the best day possible for everyone, from fellow employees to hotel guests.

That’s why Hampton Inn Anderson’s chief engineer captured Hilton Worldwide’s “Spirit of Hampton Award,” becoming the first Paragon Hotel Company employee ever to win the coveted prize.

“Billy may be our Chief Engineer,” says Mitesh Patel, Paragon’s executive vice president, “but he’s more than a maintenance man. If you’re having a bad day or feeling down in the dumps, Billy goes out of his way to cheer you up.”

The award goes to the Hampton Inn employee – among the brand’s 1,900 properties and 50,000 Team Members worldwide – who personify “Hamptonality.” The term captures every hotel’s approach to friendly customer service, anticipating guests’ needs and providing travelers with helpful suggestions about area attractions, historical facts and fun things.

And that’s what Billy Hedden does every day. His fellow Team Members cite his never-ending funny stories and silly jokes as day-making smile inducers. Throughout his four years at the 120 Interstate Blvd. property, he also greets all staff members and hotel guests by name, as he works his way from the laundry room to the housekeeping break room to the front desk and back, supervisors say.

And yet Billy, who describes himself as a spiritual man who says the blessing for staff meals but still respects others’ faiths, accepts the award with a humble smile. “I just treat guests the way I would want my family treated,” he says. “No matter what they need, I try to help them – and seeing their gratitude makes me feel good about myself.”

For more information about the company, visit http://www.phc-hotels.com.

About Paragon Hotel Company

Founded in 1995, PHC is a hospitality real estate management and development company based in Anderson, SC. The company’s vision, “constantly challenging the status quo,” complements its mission to acquire, develop and manage a portfolio of unique properties and lifestyle experiences for the enjoyment of our guests, while delivering exceptional financial results to investors and positively impacting the surrounding communities. The company’s portfolio of more than 2,100 rooms in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee includes hotels within Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Best Western, Choice, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide franchises.

GREENVILLE, SC – Hampton Hotels, Hilton Worldwide’s global brand of more than 1,900 mid-priced Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton hotels, today announced the official opening of its newest property, the 86-room Hampton Inn Greenville/I-385 Haywood Mall located at 255 Congaree Road, Greenville, S.C.

“Greenville has proven to be a thriving hub for business and leisure getaways,” said Joyelle Lew, general manager, Hampton Inn Greenville/I-385 Haywood Mall. “Not only will the new Hampton Inn Greenville serve corporate professionals, it will also function as a great destination for vacationers visiting to experience the city’s culinary, art and theater offerings.”

The hotel is owned and managed by Paragon Hotel Company. It is the 53rd Hampton property in South Carolina.

The Hampton Inn Greenville/I-385 Haywood Mall is conveniently located just off I-385, minutes from Downtown Greenville. The hotel is within a 10-minute drive from the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) and in close proximity to attractions such as the Haywood Mall, Magnolia Park Town Center and Greenville Zoo.

Guest rooms are equipped with modern amenities designed to help guests relax and stay productive, including a microwave, refrigerator, 42in LED TV, and clean and fresh Hampton bed®. The new hotel also features Hampton’s Perfect Mix Lobby, designed with a variety of seating and lighting options for both leisure and business travelers as an extension of the guestroom.

Hampton Hotels fosters a unique culture of hospitality called “Hamptonality.” This term describes each hotel’s approach to friendly customer service, anticipating guests’ needs and providing travelers with helpful suggestions about area attractions, historical facts and fun things to do around town. Additionally, hotels are infused with local photography and artwork, highlighting each property’s connection and support to its own community.

About Paragon Hotel Company

Founded in 1995, PHC is a hospitality real estate management and development company based in Anderson, SC. The company’s vision, “constantly challenging the status quo,” complements its mission to acquire, develop and manage a portfolio of unique properties and lifestyle experiences for the enjoyment of our guests, while delivering exceptional financial results to investors and positively impacting the surrounding communities. The company’s portfolio of more than 2,100 rooms in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee includes hotels within Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Best Western, Choice, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide franchises.

LYNCHBURG, VA. – AMD Hotel Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Paragon Hotel Company, has been approved for new construction of a Homewood Suites hotel in this central Virginia city that Thomas Jefferson once called “the most interesting spot in the state.”

The four-story, 104-room hotel, a member of the Hilton Worldwide family that J.D. Power ranks “Highest in Guest Satisfaction among Upper Extended Stay Hotel Chains,” will be located adjacent to PHC’s Hilton Garden Inn hotel at 4025 Wards Road, just off U.S. Bus. 29 and only minutes from the Lynchburg Regional Airport.

The new hotel’s ideal location sits minutes from downtown Lynchburg, which is situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and on the banks of the James River. The hotel site also is close to numerous colleges and universities, as well as multiple retail and dining options. The hotel will offer studio and one bedroom suites, complimentary hot breakfast, evening meals with drinks, 24-hour business center and suite shop, indoor pool, and conference room.

“PHC is excited to bring one of Hilton Worldwide’s top brands to the very heart of Old Dominion,” says Mitesh Patel, executive vice president of the Anderson, S.C.-based company that currently owns the Homewood Suites in Greenville, SC as well. Construction of the hotel is expected to initiate in Summer 2015 with an opening slated for August the following year.

ISOM Ham Design Group was selected as the architect for the ground-up project, Patel says. The Wilkesboro, N.C., firm has been part of H ilton Architect’s Roundtable for five years. The roundtable is a select group of 12 architectural firms experienced in the development of Hilton projects. Participation is invitation-only, based on successful completion of Hilton projects and positive feedback from Hilton franchisees.

For more information about Paragon Hotel Company, visit http://www.phc-hotels.com.

About Hotel Evolution

Hotel Evolution, LLC, founded in 2006, is a privately-held hospitality management, development, and consulting company headquartered in Norcross, Georgia. Employing over 150 people, the company and its affiliates presently own and manage 4 hotels comprising of 442 rooms located in the southeastern United States. Hotel Evolution’s team is famous for paying attention to the smallest details and guest comforts in order to exceed all service expectations. They are, “Superior Hotels Evolving in the Spirit of Hospitality”.

ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Eight hotels in the Paragon Hotel Company family have earned TripAdvisor’s 2014 Certificate of Excellence awards for “exceptional hospitality” – winning five-star reviews from thousands of travelers who rank the world’s top accommodations, eateries and attractions.

“The awards are given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, so these honorees, from Australia to Zimbabwe, represent the upper echelon of businesses listed on our Website,” says Marc Charron, president of TripAdvisor for Business.

“We’re immensely proud that so many of our hotels have won the recognition they’ve worked so hard for,” says Ricky Patel, CEO of Paragon Hotel Company. “At the same time, these awards are all the more satisfying because they’re based entirely on feedback from the people who matter most – our guests.”

In a global survey of more than 12,000 travelers, TripAdvisor found that 65 percent of respondents are more likely to book hotels that receive these prestigious honors. That means it’s more likely that travelers to South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia would be most attracted to PHC’s winning properties: Country Inn & Suites-Anderson, SC; Hampton Inn North-Anderson, SC; Hampton Inn-Anderson, SC; Holiday Inn-Anderson, SC; Hampton Inn-Easley, SC; Hampton Inn-Greenwood, SC; Homewood Suites-Greenville, SC; and Hilton Garden Inn-Lynchburg, VA.

TripAdvisor helps travelers plan – and enjoy – the perfect trip, with branded sites that comprise the world’s largest interconnected travel community. The TripAdvisor brand reaches nearly 260 million unique monthly visitors, with more than 150 million reviews covering more than 4 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 39 countries.

For more information about Paragon Hotel Company, visit http://www.phc-hotels.com.

About Paragon Hotel Company

Founded in 1995, PHC is a hospitality real estate management and development company based in Anderson, SC. The company’s vision, “constantly challenging the status quo,” complements its mission to acquire, develop and manage a portfolio of unique properties and lifestyle experiences for the enjoyment of our guests, while delivering exceptional financial results to investors and positively impacting the surrounding communities. The company’s portfolio of more than 2,100 rooms in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee includes hotels within Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Best Western, Choice, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide franchises.

ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – It’s been said that a ship is safe at harbor, but that’s not what ships are for – and ships don’t build themselves, they require teams to build them and to sail them.

That’s why Paragon Hotel Company’s top leadership teamed up in a boat-building challenge as part of the company’s “Refresh, Renew, Recharge” conference in September 2013 in the company’s Upstate hometown.

And boats weren’t the only part of the splashy four-day event. PHC’s General Managers also sailed through intensive sessions about insurance and workplace safety; time and attendance tracking; and maintenance and accounting – as well as other team-building challenges.

The general sessions and working lunches, which were spread throughout four of the company’s Anderson properties, were detailed in the event program that quoted renowned Dutch writer Henri Nouwen: “Hospitality Is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place.”

For all of their hard work, participants were rewarded with great food and fun, including an Italian dinner, a make-your-own fajita bar and Paragon Gala Night, which was held at a downtown Anderson restaurant reserved only for PHC guests. To top it all off, the company CEO Ricky Patel served up real ho`okipa (that’s Hawaiian for “hospitality”) with a Luau Party at his personal residence.

“We try to treat our associates the way they treat their guests,” Patel says. “Yes, we all do a lot of work during our leadership conferences, but it’s not really work when you’re also having a lot of fun. That’s why this event was such a success – because that’s exactly what happened for all of us!”

For more information about Paragon Hotel Company, visit http://www.phc-hotels.com.

About Paragon Hotel Company

Founded in 1995, PHC is a hospitality real estate management and development company based in Anderson, SC. The company’s vision, “constantly challenging the status quo,” complements its mission to acquire, develop and manage a portfolio of unique properties and lifestyle experiences for the enjoyment of our guests, while delivering exceptional financial results to investors and positively impacting the surrounding communities. The company’s portfolio of more than 2,100 rooms in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee includes hotels within Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Best Western, Choice, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide franchises.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Multimillion-dollar renovations underway at a former Holiday Inn in North Carolina’s “Twin City” will lead to a Doubletree by Hilton hotel by Ssummer 2015 – complete with chocolate chip cookies … all thanks to Paragon Hotel Company.

PHC’s conversion of the onetime Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center into a hotel that’s part of the Hilton Worldwide family goes hand-in-glove with the city whose nickname celebrates its dual heritage of innovation and arts.

“We’re proud to invest so much here in the Piedmont Triad, not just because the hotel happens to be in the heart of the state’s educational and cultural hub, but because Winston-Salem also ranks among America’s richest historic gems,” says Mitesh Patel, executive vice president of the Anderson, S.C.-based Paragon Hotel Company.

“Winston,” as locals call the town whose history dates back before the Revolutionary War, is the second largest city in the Piedmont Triad, which includes Wake Forest University, Winston- Salem University and Salem College. Those are all within minutes of the PHC property – as is the city’s award-winning downtown, acclaimed as a tourists’ paradise all its own.

“There is a steadfast effort to keep parts of downtown in a time warp to the 18th century,” says Forbes magazine, which has named Winston-Salem one of America’s finest downtowns. “It’s like a little slice of Old Williamsburg in the center of a mid-sized city. The whole district was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966, and continues to draw in visitors with its quaint old shops, churches, and costumed re-enactors.”

The soon-to-be Doubletree Hotel at 5790 University Parkway will feature 150 rooms, each with complimentary, wireless high-speed Internet access, 42-in LED television, MP3-compatible stereo clock radio, Neutrogena® bath and body products, and Wolfgang Puck gourmet coffee service. In addition, the hotel will boast 6,300 square feet of flexible meeting space, a free 24-hour business center, fitness center, outdoor pool and the Madison Park Café bistro. For more information about Paragon Hotel Company, visit http://www.phc-hotels.com.

About Hotel Evolution

Hotel Evolution, LLC, founded in 2006, is a privately-held hospitality management, development, and consulting company headquartered in Norcross, Georgia. Employing over 150 people, the company and its affiliates presently own and manage 4 hotels comprising of 442 rooms located in the southeastern United States. Hotel Evolution’s team is famous for paying attention to the smallest details and guest comforts in order to exceed all service expectations. They are, “Superior Hotels Evolving in the Spirit of Hospitality”.

ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Joe Freyer’s going to run out of room in his office with all of his new awards, most notably his biggest prize yet: General Manager of the Year for Country Inn & Suites By Carlson.

In presenting the award that recognizes its top manager among its 470 hotels worldwide, Carlson said: “Mr. Freyer provides his employees with outstanding leadership, his guests with superior service and consistently delivers exceptional results to his hotel.”

Those results are based on several factors, including: a significant increase in room revenue over the previous year; outstanding overall guest satisfaction; and a No. 1 ranking on TripAdvisor in the market, according to Mitesh Patel, executive vice president of Paragon Hotel Company. PHC operates the hotel, which is located in PHC’s hometown in South Carolina’s Upstate.

Freyer’s best-manager prize isn’t the only award that his Country Inn & Suites By Carlson has received. His hotel took three other prestigious honors, too, including: TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award; the Be Our Guest Award; and Carlson’s 2013 President’s Award. The latter award goes to hotels with top scores in guest satisfaction, with scoring measured with customer feedback on cleanliness and on the hotel’s consistent ability to meet – and often exceed – Carlson’s quality standards.

“It’s all a bit overwhelming,” Freyer says of the awards that have piled up for him and his hotel. “We owe so much to our hard-working associates, not just here at the hotel, but also at Paragon, our parent company where teamwork, creativity and collaboration are just part of the day. More than that, though, we owe everything to our guests – they’re the people we really work for!”

“We’re really proud of Joe,” Patel says. “His dedication to the hotel and to his staff and his commitment to guest satisfaction make us all look good – and when you consider that this award recognizes the No. 1 general manager in all of these hotels all over the world, that’s incredible.” For more information about Paragon Hotel Company, visit http://www.phc-hotels.com.

About Paragon Hotel Company

Founded in 1995, PHC is a hospitality real estate management and development company based in Anderson, SC. The company’s vision, “constantly challenging the status quo,” complements its mission to acquire, develop and manage a portfolio of unique properties and lifestyle experiences for the enjoyment of our guests, while delivering exceptional financial results to investors and positively impacting the surrounding communities. The company’s portfolio of more than 2,100 rooms in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee includes hotels within Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Best Western, Choice, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide franchises.