DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
222 | Flying Solo: What it takes to go from franchised to independent
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
Independent hotel supply in the U.S. has decreased in the past 10 years, reports STR.
The lodging-data company reports independently owned and operated hotels account for less than 40 percent of all hotels. About 1 percent of those close each year.
But that trend may take a turn.
It appears more and more hoteliers who have grown their companies with franchised brands are considering going independent.
We’re talking about entrepreneurs are converting existing branded properties into non-affiliated hotels.
The franchise contracts are approaching the end, and thanks to the internet, online distribution channels and sophisticated operating and marketing technologies, flying solo is no longer a day dream.
However, before lowering your brand flag, listen to the advice of three hoteliers who either have done it or are planning to do it.
You may discover that franchising is the best model for your business, after all.
In today’s episode, we talk to San Diego hoteliers Bobby Patel of Hotel Investment Group which has nine independent hotels, and Vipul Dayal of VNR Management who is converting a family-owned franchised property and writing a book about it.
We also hear from Timesh Patel of Ohm Culture Hotels in Inglewood, California, who, as he puts it, was “punched in the face” when he transitioned from franchised to independent.
Resources and Links
- Timesh Patel of Ohm Culture Hotels
- Bobby Patel of Hotel Investment Group
- Vipul Dayal
- “From Brand to Boutique: Analyzing Operating Models.” The first chapter is available on Amazon.com.
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
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317 | Together Again: U.S. hotel industry begins to see return of small meetings
Ginny Morrison of Evanston, Illinois, is a 33-year veteran of Spire Hospitality, a hotel management company with a portfolio that spans coast-to-coast. As vice president of sales and marketing, Morrison saw the coronavirus pandemic decimate the meetings business. More than a year later, she’s witnessing a comeback as small-meeting planners are actively booking events for the last half of 2021 and beyond. As public health agencies expand COVID-19 vaccination programs across the U.S. and states ease up on public-gathering restrictions designed to keep the virus at bay, the hotel industry is seeing small meetings begin a comeback. In Episode 317, Long Live Lodging covers the state of the small-meetings sector and how hotels can grab their share of the meetings business during and post-pandemic. This report is part of our ongoing coverage about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the hospitality industry.
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316 | Pandemic Trailblazer: Hunter Hotel Investment Conference leads lodging industry’s 2021 event circuit
The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference will be the industry’s first large event to be held during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta event will be a hybrid format of in-person and virtual access, also an industry first. Lee Hunter, chairman of the conference, knows the level of expectation is high among other conference planners as well as industry professionals eager to network after more than a yearlong hiatus. Episode 316 of Lodging Leaders podcast features Hunter as he tells what it takes to re-launch the industry’s conference circuit amid the COVID-19 outbreak.