Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Recommends That Holders of Operating Partnership Units of Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. Reject "Mini Tender" Offer by Certain Affiliates of MacKenzie Capital Management, LP

BETHESDA, Md., March 31, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. HST has learned that certain affiliates of MacKenzie Capital Management, LP ("Purchaser") made an unsolicited "mini tender" offer for up to 240,000 operating partnership units ("OP Units") of Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. ("Host L.P.") at a price of $12.50 per OP Unit less any cash distributions made by Host L.P. since December 31, 2015 (the "MacKenzie Offer").  Neither the Company nor Host L.P. are in any way associated with the MacKenzie Offer, and holders of OP Units are under no obligation to take any action with respect to the MacKenzie Offer.

Mini-tender offers seek less than 5 percent of a company's outstanding equity. This allows the offering company to avoid many of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") disclosure and procedural requirements for tender offers.  The SEC's guidance to investors on "mini tender" offers is available at www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/minitend.htm. This guidance advises that mini-tender offers "have been increasingly used to catch investors off guard" and that investors "may end up selling their securities at below-market prices."

After careful evaluation of the MacKenzie Offer, the Company, Host L.P. and the Board of Directors of the Company recommends that the holders of OP Units reject this unsolicited offer.  In making this recommendation, the Board of Directors of the Company primarily considered that the offer price in the MacKenzie Offer is below the $16.82 per share closing stock price of the Company's common stock on March 21, 2016, the date the Company became aware of the mini-tender. Further, the $12.50 per OP Unit price in the MacKenzie Offer will be reduced by the January 15, 2016 distribution of approximately $0.20 per OP Unit and the upcoming April 15, 2016 distribution of approximately $0.20 per OP Unit. Although there is no trading market for the OP Units themselves, at any time holders of OP Units may request that the Company redeem their OP Units and the Company, in its discretion, may either redeem the OP Units for cash or, in the alternative, issue 1.021494 shares of the Company's common stock in exchange for each OP Unit, which shares may then be sold.  Based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on March 30, 2016 of $16.46, an OP Unitholder would receive shares with a market value of approximately $16.81 compared to the MacKenzie Offer of $12.50 (less post December 31, 2015 distributions).

The Purchaser has made many similar unsolicited mini-tender offers for equity of other companies. Like its other offers, this offer puts individual investors at risk because they may not realize they are selling their OP Units at a discount. The Company urges investors to get current quotes for the Company's common stock for which their OP Units may be redeemed, consult their financial advisors and exercise caution with respect to the MacKenzie Offer. The Company recommends that stockholders who have not responded to the Purchaser's offer take no action. The Company encourages brokers and dealers, as well as other market participants, to review the SEC's letter regarding broker-dealer mini-tender offer dissemination and disclosure at http://www.sec.gov/divisions/marketreg/minitenders/sia072401.htm.

Holders of OP Units should consult with their personal financial advisor or other legal, tax or investment professional(s) regarding any questions they may have.

The Company requests that a copy of this press release be included with all distributions of materials related to the MacKenzie Offer.

About Host Hotels & Resorts

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is an S&P 500 and Fortune 500 company and is the largest lodging real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. The Company currently owns 93 properties in the United States and 12 properties internationally totaling approximately 57,000 rooms. The Company also holds non-controlling interests in five joint ventures, including one in Europe that owns 10 hotels with approximately 3,900 rooms and one in Asia that has interests in five hotels in India. Guided by a disciplined approach to capital allocation and aggressive asset management, the Company partners with premium brands such as Marriott^®, Ritz-Carlton^®, Westin^®, Sheraton^®, W^®, St. Regis^®, Le Meridien^®, The Luxury Collection^®, Hyatt^®, Fairmont^®, Hilton^®, Swissôtel^®, ibis^®, Pullman^®, and Novotel^® as well as independent brands in the operation of properties in over 50 major markets worldwide. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.hosthotels.com. 

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