Benchmark's Bedford Springs Receives Golf Magazine Award

Annual Awards Competition Recognizes "Renovation of the Year"

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. October 14, 2008

HOUSTON, TX, March 25, 2008. Benchmark Hospitality International has announced that the restoration of the Bedford Springs Resort Old Course has been honored by Golf Inc. magazine as the "2007 Renovation of the Year." Greg French, vice president, golf operations for Benchmark, made the announcement. Benchmark Hospitality operates Bedford Springs Resort, which is located in Bedford, Pennsylvania.

"We are thrilled that the Old Course has been honored with the Renovation of the Year award by Golf Inc.," said Mr. French. "An immense amount of research, planning, energy and resources went into this important project to ensure authenticity and proper restoration of this historically important course. This honor is an endorsement of this accomplishment!"

In its fifth annual golf course awards competition, Golf Inc. recognized the Bedford Springs Resort Old Course, which reopened last July, as the winner in the daily fee/resort division. Forse Design of Hopwood, Pennsylvania, was the architect of the Old Course restoration and Frontier Golf of Jones Mills, Pennsylvania, was the contractor.

The honor follows another by Golf Course Industry magazine, which awarded the Bedford Springs Old Course its annual Affinity Award for Best Environmental Project. Part of the Old Course project included the restoration of 6,200 linear feet of the previously compromised steam bed of Shobers Run, which flows through the course and is a tributary to the Juniata River, helping revive the ecological balance of this special section of southern Pennsylvania.

The meticulously renovated Bedford Springs Resort Old Course returned to its original luster following completion of a project that retraced the footsteps of three revolutionary American golf course architects -- Spencer Oldham (1895), A.W. Tillinghast (1912) and Donald Ross (1923). Select golf holes at Bedford Springs are thought to be some of the first golf holes in America.

This unique and historic collaboration of golf holes stretches across the foot of the Allegheny Mountains along Shobers Run creek, weaving amid 200-year-old oaks and the serene meadows of picturesque Bedford Springs Valley. The par 72, which ranges from 5,050 to a maximum of 6,785 yards, features bent grass greens, fairways and tees, with rough consisting of bluegrass and fescue.

"We are pleased to honor the industry's leaders in what is a very active, but often overlooked segment of this industry," said Chase Peckham, associate publisher of Golf Inc., which presented awards in several categories. "The quality of entries was exceptionally high."

Entrants were evaluated anonymously on four criteria: how well the renovation achieved the overall project goal, course routing, improvement of the course aesthetics, and improvement in playability and maintainability.

The Bedford Springs Old Course is open to the public, with preferred tee times reserved for VIP Club individuals and families, and resort guests. For information or tee times call (866) 623-8168 or visit www.bedfordspringsresort.com.

Bedford Springs Resort re-opened in July 2007 following a $120-million restoration and expansion. Long heralded for its healing waters and restorative environs, Bedford Springs origins date back to 1796 when its seven original mineral springs lured guests for a healing cure. A classic "springs resort" with many of the original buildings and architectural elements still in place, the restored and expanded Bedford Springs Resort features the 30,000 square foot Springs Eternal Spa, five restaurants, meeting and banquet space, retail shops and a variety of recreational activities including the restored and award-winning Old Course.

Bedford Springs Resort is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the ultimate luxury collection featuring more than 165 exceptional hotels and resorts in the most desirable locations around the world.

Bedford Resort Partners, Ltd. is the owner and developer of the Bedford Springs Resort project.

Benchmark Hospitality International, an independent hospitality management company based in The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, operates resorts, conference centers, hotels and condominium resorts both domestically and internationally. For locations of Benchmark Hospitality properties and for additional information, visit Benchmark's Website at www.benchmarkhospitality.com.