We have come through an extraordinarily difficult time, in our economy as a whole, and for our industry. The difficulties may not be fully over yet. But regularly interacting as I do with dozens of hotel owners, general managers, lenders, and corporate managers, I cannot help but feel a strong sense of confidence for what is on the horizon—for the next 12 months, the next 24 months, and beyo...

Where are we in the current cycle of foreclosure and stress on hotel owners? I wish I could say with certainty, but my instinct is that we are close to the end. At least, that is my hope. But regardless of what the next few months hold, there are a few principles that all owners can adhere to, especially those who need to be especially mindful of current credit and lending conditions: 1. Hang in there—There are better days ahead, and whether those days come in six day...

“Transparency” is a buzzword of our age, in business and politics. Everybody claims to have it. If so, then why do we often read in the papers about misunderstandings and miscommunications among business partners, and why is there so much corporate litigation clogging the court dockets? I personally take a simple view of transparency: It is the way business gets done. It is the right way to do business in a moral sense, of course—but it is also more productive, efficient, and cost-...

Soon it will be that time of year again, when people think about spring cleaning. But one valuable thing hotel franchise owners should not take out with the trash, are the many resources offered to them as a result of a brand affiliation. This sounds like common sense, but in more than two decades in the industry, it’s never failed to amaze me how often franchisees fail to take advantage of the many tools and supports brands make available to them. This can include basic ope...

On the one hand, the hotel recovery has clearly gained traction since the dark days of the financial meltdown and the recession. Occupancy and rate are up pretty much across the board; leisure travel is strong; and even business travel and group bookings have shown improvement. Stock prices of some publically-traded hotel companies reflect the progress, and there is a general sense of hopeful optimism in the air. On the other hand, talk of “double dip” persists—and anyone in the fr...

Over the course of 20 years in the industry, I’ve had the chance to meet and communicate with hundreds of franchisees, owners, developers, and corporate managers. I’m excited to launch this Blog with the goal of stimulating some interesting, compelling—at times, even controversial—conversation around hotel franchising. I currently serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at La Quinta Inns & Suites, based in Dallas, Texas. My interests and involvements spa...