Royal Host REIT Announces Departure of Executive Vice President

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Dec. 22, 2008) - Royal Host Real Estate Investment Trust ("Royal Host" or the "Trust") (TSX:RYL.UN) (TSX:RYL.DB.A) (TSX:RYL.DB.B) (TSX:RYL.DB.C) (TSX:RYL.DB.D) today announced that Executive Vice President, Patrick Lambie, will be leaving the Trust, effective February 6, 2009. Mr. Lambie's responsibilities will be assumed by Royal Host's executive team who will work with him over the next month to ensure a smooth transition. The executive team, together with the Committee of the Trustees, will continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the Trust.

Royal Host is a uniquely diversified hospitality trust that delivers Unitholder value through hotel ownership, investment, management and franchising. Royal Host's portfolio of Canadian hotels operates under a variety of recognizable brands as well as a number of unbranded properties. The Trust's hotel portfolio is further enhanced by a stable franchising business, a successful hotel management operation, and a sizable portfolio of publicly-traded securities from within the hospitality and service sectors.

Royal Host trust units and convertible debentures are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbols "RYL.UN", "RYL.DB.A", "RYL.DB.B", "RYL.DB.C" and "RYL.DB.D", respectively.