Document:

<PAGE>

                                                                 Exhibit 10.5(b)

                AMENDMENT NO. 5 DATED AS OF DECEMBER 18, 1998 TO
             DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 15, 1993
                       BETWEEN HOST MARRIOTT CORPORATION
                        AND MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC.

          Host Marriott Corporation (f/k/a Marriott Corporation, "Host
Marriott"), Marriott International, Inc. ("MII") and Host Marriott Services
Corporation desire to adopt this Amendment to the Distribution Agreement between
Host Marriott and MII dated as of September 15, 1993 (the "Original Agreement,"
and, as amended hereby and by that certain Amendment No. 1 to the Original
Agreement dated as of December 29, 1995, that certain Amendment No. 2 to the
Original Agreement dated as of June 21, 1997, that certain Amendment No. 3 to
the Original Agreement dated as of March 3, 1998 and that certain proposed
Amendment No. 4 to the Original Agreement expected to be entered into after the
date hereof, the "Distribution Agreement").

          WHEREAS, by letter dated December 10, 1998, Southeastern Asset
Management, Inc. ("Southeastern"), an investment advisor registered under
Section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, advised Host Marriott that
approximately 135 accounts over which Southeastern has either investment
discretion, voting authority, or both, currently own in the aggregate 40,923,400
shares of Host Marriott Common Stock, or approximately 19.97% of the 204,954,447
shares of Host Marriott Common Stock outstanding on the record date for the Host
Marriott Special Meeting held on December 15, 1998 to approve the merger (the
"Merger") of Host Marriott with and into HMC Merger Corporation, a Maryland
corporation to be renamed "Host Marriott Corporation" ("Host REIT") after the
Merger;

          WHEREAS, Host Marriott expects that, on the date hereof, its Board of
Directors will declare a special dividend (the "Special Dividend") to
stockholders of record on December 28, 1998 entitling such stockholders to elect
to receive such Special Dividend in the form of cash or Host Marriott Common
Stock; and

          WHEREAS, the parties hereto desire to amend the Distribution Agreement
in connection with such Special Dividend.

          NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and other good and
valuable consideration, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

          1.  Section 6.07 of the Distribution Agreement shall be amended by
adding and reserving for further Amendment subsections (j) and (k) and adding
subsection (l) as follows:
<PAGE>

          (j)  [Reserved for proposed Amendment No. 4]

          (k)  [Reserved for proposed Amendment No. 4]

          (l)  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 6.07 or any
               other section of this Agreement, Southeastern Asset Management,
               Inc. ("Southeastern"), an investment advisor registered under
               Section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, shall not be
               deemed to have triggered the Right if such Right would otherwise
               have been triggered until such time (if ever) as it becomes the
               Beneficial Owner of a number of shares of Voting Stock in excess
               of the sum (the "Maximum Number") of (i) 40,923,400 shares of
               Voting Stock plus (ii) such number of shares of Voting Stock
               actually acquired by Southeastern through accounts over which it
               exercises investment discretion, voting authority or both as the
               result of any election (or deemed election) to receive Voting
               Stock in payment of the Special Dividend (or, prior to the date
               of any such election or deemed election, such number of shares of
               Voting Stock which it can elect to receive in payment of the
               Special Dividend) declared by Host Marriott on December 18, 1998
               to stockholders of record on December 28, 1998 (as the number
               representing the sum of (i) and (ii) may be adjusted to give
               effect to stock splits, stock dividends, subdivisions,
               combinations, reclassifications or similar events, to the extent
               appropriate), which dividend payment obligations will be assumed
               by HMC Merger Corporation, a Maryland corporation ("Host REIT"),
               in connection with the merger of Host Marriott with and into Host
               REIT; provided, however, that if at any time after December 28,
                     --------  -------
               1998, Southeastern shall be the Beneficial Owner of a number of
               shares of Voting Stock representing less than 20% of the total
               voting power of the then outstanding shares of Voting Stock and
               if Southeastern shall become at any time thereafter the
               Beneficial Owner of a number of shares of Voting Stock
               representing 20% or more of the total voting power of the then
               outstanding shares of Voting Stock, Southeastern shall thereupon
               be deemed to have triggered the Right; provided further, that if
                                                      -------- -------
               the number of shares of Voting Stock beneficially owned by
               Southeastern is reduced to less than 20% of the total voting
               power of the then outstanding Voting Stock as a result of
               dispositions of Voting Stock in the ordinary course of trading
               for its clients' accounts within a five (5) consecutive trading
               day period, and Southeastern reacquires the beneficial ownership
               of the number of shares so disposed, again in the ordinary course

                                      -2-
<PAGE>

               of trading for its clients' accounts, within twenty (20)
               consecutive trading days immediately after such five (5) day
               trading period, then such reacquisition (subject always to the
               Maximum Number) shall not be deemed to have triggered the Right.
               Nothing herein is intended to grant, or shall be construed as
               granting, to Southeastern, any of its affiliates or any of
               Southeastern's funds or accounts a waiver from the ownership
               limit (or any provision thereof) under the Charter of Host REIT.

          2.   Except as specifically amended hereby, the Distribution Agreement
continues in full force and effect without modification and is hereby ratified
and confirmed in all respects.

          3.   This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts,
which, when taken together, shall constitute a single binding instrument.

                   [signatures appear on the following page]

                                      -3-
<PAGE>

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment No. 5 to be
duly executed and delivered as of December 18, 1998.

                                   MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC.

                                   By:    /s/ Joseph Ryan
                                          _________________________
                                   Name:  Joseph Ryan
                                          _________________________
                                   Title: Executive Vice President
                                          _________________________

                                   HOST MARRIOTT CORPORATION

                                   By:    /s/ C.G. Townsend
                                          _________________________
                                   Name:  Christopher G. Townsend
                                          _________________________
                                   Title: Senior Vice President
                                          _________________________

                                   HOST MARRIOTT SERVICES CORPORATION

                                   By:    /s/ Joe P. Martin
                                          _________________________
                                   Name:  J.P. Martin
                                          _________________________
                                   Title: Senior Vice President
                                          _________________________

The undersigned is executing this Amendment for the purpose of acknowledging and
consenting to the provisions hereof.

                                   HMC MERGER CORPORATION

                                   By:    /s/ C.G. Townsend
                                          _________________________
                                   Name:  Christopher G. Townsend
                                          _________________________
                                   Title: Vice President
                                          _________________________

                                      -4-<PAGE>

                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.0

COMMON STOCK
PAR VALUE $.01                                          COMMON STOCK
                                           SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
                                                            CUSIP

                         BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC.

             INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE

THIS CERTIFIES THAT

                                S P E C I M E N
is the owner of:

FULLY PAID AND NONASSESSABLE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK $.01 PAR VALUE PER SHARE OF
                         BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC.

The shares represented by this certificate are transferable only on the stock
transfer books of the Corporation by the holder of record hereof, or by his duly
authorized attorney or legal representative, upon the surrender of this
certificate properly endorsed. This certificate and the shares represented
hereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the
Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation and any amendments thereto
(copies of which are on file with the Transfer Agent), to all of which
provisions the holder by acceptance hereof, assents.

     This certificate is not valid unless countersigned and registered by the
Transfer Agent and Registrar. The shares represented by this Certificate are not
insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency.

          IN WITNESS THEREOF, Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. has caused this
certificate to be executed by the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized
officers and has caused a facsimile of its corporate seal to be hereunto
affixed.

Dated:                                            [SEAL]
                         President                                Secretary
<PAGE>

                         BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP, INC.

     The shares represented by this certificate are subject to a limitation
contained in the Certificate of Incorporation to the effect that in no event
shall any record owner of any outstanding common stock which is beneficially
owned, directly or indirectly, by a person who beneficially owns in excess of
10% of the outstanding shares of common stock (the "Limit") be entitled or
permitted to any vote in respect of shares held in excess of the Limit.

     The Board of Directors of the Corporation is authorized by resolution(s),
from time to time adopted, to provide for the issuance of serial preferred stock
in series and to fix and state the voting powers, designations, preferences and
relative, participating, optional, or other special rights of the shares of each
such series and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof. The
Corporation will furnish to any shareholder upon request and without charge a
full description of each class of stock and any series thereof.

     The shares represented by this certificate may not be cumulatively voted on
any matter. The affirmative vote of the holders of at least 80% of the voting
stock of the Corporation, voting together as a single class, shall be required
to approve certain business combinations and other transactions, pursuant to the
Certificate of Incorporation or to amend certain provisions of the Certificate
of Incorporation.

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this
certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations:

TEN COM - as tenants in common        UNIF GIFTS MIN ACT_______ custodian_______
                                                         (Cust)          (Minor)

TEN ENT - as tenants by the entireties         under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act
                                                            ____________________
                                                                    (State)

JT TEN - as joint tenants with right
         of survivorship and not as
         tenants in common

    Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

For value received, __________ hereby sell, assign and transfer unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
  IDENTIFICATION NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

________________________________________________________________________________
Please print or typewrite name and address including postal zip code of assignee

_______________________________________________ shares of the common stock
represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and
appoint
____________________________________________________________________________
Attorney to transfer the said stock on the books of the within-named Corporation
with full power of substitution in the premises.

DATED ________________________      ____________________________________________
                                    NOTICE:  THE SIGNATURE TO THIS ASSIGNMENT
                                    MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN
                                    UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY
                                    PARTICULAR WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT
                                    OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER.

SIGNATURE GUARANTEED: ____________________________________________________
                      THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE
                      GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS
                      AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH
                      MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
                      MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00003-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00003-of-00352.parquet"}]]