LAS VEGAS—At its fourth annual membership conference held here at the Monte Carlo hotel, Best Value Inn executives regaled in the fact that they had hit the 205-membership mark, surpassing their 2001 goal to reach 200 members by the time of the event. The executives also detailed plans to increase the brand’s Internet presence and continue on its growth curve. “When we started this three and a half years ago, everybody said that they loved our program and price structure but wanted to know that we’d last before committing,” brand President /CEO Roger Bloss told HOTEL BUSINESS®. “Now that we’re showing such growth and results, people are taking notice. Most start-ups don’t last three years, but we’ve made it past that mark with over 200 members.” The brand added 93 new members in 2002, 50% more than the number added the previous year. In addition, Bloss said the company signed three properties at the conference and has a deal in the works with a developer in Minnesota to add nine new construction projects this year, which would bring the number of member properties up to about 220. “I personally handle the tour and travel division and attend all the international shows on behalf of Best Value,” said Judy Di Pietro, the brand’s national sales director. “One positive that I’m noticing in my travels is that people are beginning to know and request us. Before, we were very new and people used to need a sales pitch, but now they’re actually booking with us as opposed to other brands.” Those hoteliers who have aligned with the brand are seeing results, according to Bloss. Reservations per branded hotel increased 203% in 2002, with the average annual revenue per property increasing 199%, he said during the conference’s opening session. Those members using “hotel factory”— the brand’s reservation system platform provided by Unirez— had an average revenue increase of 400%, Bloss added. In order to sustain these numbers this year, brand CFO/COO Bernie Moyle— who left a law firm of 20 years to join the brand in 2002— talked about the importance of technology and teamwork. The big news coming out of the session was that Best Value Inn will have its own chain code for Internet booking early this year. By Feb. 22, 2003 the new chain code, BV, will be accessible on Sabre and Galileo— two Internet platforms that realize over 80% of all Internet bookings done on the web— making it easier for Internet customers to target only Best Value Inn properties if they choose. This is key for the chain because it gives them greater name recognition in the industry and 50% of their reservations come from online booking. In addition, the company plans to continue to expand its website as 8% of its bookings are generated from the site annually. To that end, a pop-up window has been added to the site to accumulate the e-mail addresses of visitors. The site also now has a field where the visitor can search for member properties by geographic location without having to view the entire portfolio of brand hotels, and a coupon banner for special discounts. Moyle emphasized the importance of increasing the brand’s advertising budget and working as a team in order to continue to grow. “Our main source of revenue comes from our state travel guide placement,” he stated. “However, only 77% of our members participated. We will not move forward as a brand unless we have participation by all members in those programs that support the brand. “Our $3 per room marketing budget resulted in about $264,000 this year, and after deducting those non-collectible accounts, that total came to about $242,000,” Moyle said. “We’ve made the most of our funds by focusing on improving the reservation system, but we need more funds to continue to grow at a fast pace.” Members voted resoundingly—59 to 19—to pass Moyle’s plan, which calls for a $1 increase in marketing and membership fees each year for the next four years. Members also showed support for the brand by voting t
