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Exhibit 31.1

SECTION 302 CERTIFICATION



| |  | I, Paul W. Whetsell, certify that:
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|1. |  | I have reviewed this Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended
September 30, 2003 of MeriStar Hospitality Operating Partnership, L.P.,
MeriStar Hospitality Finance Corp., MeriStar Hospitality Finance Corp.
II and MeriStar Hospitality Finance Corp. III;
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|2. |  | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
covered by this report;
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|3. |  | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
financial information included in this report, fairly present in all
material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
cash flows of the registrants as of, and for, the periods presented in
this report;
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|4. |  | The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible
for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a15(e) and 15d15(e)) for the
registrants and have:
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|(a) |  | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
registrants, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known
to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
period in which this report is being prepared;
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|(b) |  | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure
controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,
as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
evaluation; and
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|(c) |  | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants
internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth
fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
registrants internal control over financial reporting; and
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|5. |  | The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed,
based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
reporting, to the registrants auditors and the audit committee of
registrants board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
functions):
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|(a) |  | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses
in the design or operation of internal control over financial
reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
registrants ability to record, process, summarize and report
financial information; and
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|(b) |  | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
management or other employees who have a significant role in the
registrants internal control over financial reporting.
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Date: November 12, 2003
    
    
    
    /s/ Paul W. WhetsellPaul W. WhetsellChief Executive OfficerMeriStar Hospitality Operating Partnership, L.P.MeriStar Hospitality Finance Corp.MeriStar Hospitality Finance Corp. IIMeriStar Hospitality Finance Corp. III