NEW ORLEANS, LA— The Hampton Inn growth story will continue apace in 2002, with a focus on its Hampton Inn & Suites product, particularly in the western half of the United States. Speaking to HOTEL BUSINESS® on Jan. 21 as Hilton Hotels’ focused service brands conference got under way here in the Big Easy, William Edmundson IV, vp/brand performance and support, was bullish on the brand, noting it has held its own in the current economy. Over the past year, the brand has approved 90 development deals, said Edmundson, with about 60% of those being Hampton Inn & Suites. The brand has seen “tremendous growth in California,” Edmundson stated. In fact, some 55% to 60% of all the approvals last year were west of the Mississippi. “In a lot of those markets it makes sense, [especially]with the high cost of land…it’s a much more flexible, more lucrative property to operate.” Looking at the drivers behind the momentum, Edmundson said the brand “really has become a brand of choice for franchisees to build. With the tough times out there, if you’re a franchisee you want to make sure you’re hedging all your bets.” He feels with the brand’s three product lines— the Inns, Inn & Suites, and the new 52- to 58-room prototype for tertiary markets— the chain is able to offer options. The small-hotel prototype is expected to attract greater numbers of non-lodging franchisees over the course of 2002, as well. Since launching in late third-quarter 2001, the chain has signed five deals for the new concept, mostly in western states. “And we have a lot of interest from people who are in the planning process, and hopefully signing commitments soon,” said Edmundson. Since Sept. 11, Hampton has been in sync with Hilton’s “managing for recovery” platform, although Edmundson felt the brand has been resilient to the fallout, and without cutting back on standards. “We’ve seen other brands cut people, cut service, even cut amenities for the guests. Guests don’t appreciate that,” he said, adding, “We don’t take our service lightly.” Other positive factors cited include the chain’s wealth of highway and suburban locations that absorbed non-fly travel and the brand’s 100% satisfaction guarantee. In addition, Edmundson said several years ago the chain reviewed its technology platform and realized the brand could only be as strong as the weakest on-site computer. The resulting “Total Solutions” program has now changed the paradigm of franchisees leasing equipment themselves. Instead, the brand assumes all of the lease payments for the franchisees— an estimated $5,000-$6,000 in savings per property per year (the brand has close to 1,200 hotels). “So all of the franchisees are on the same platform, running at the same speed. Particularly as we step up our commitment to service and the guarantee, we’ll be able to deliver CRM-based programs, training-based programs. Things that make the guest experience more pleasant and hopefully faster at check-in. We won’t have to wait for that last franchisee to finish out the lease on his equipment,” said Edmundson. “One of the things that we’re trying to do as a brand is take all of our support and communication with the properties and get it to them faster and more cost efficiently, via e-mail and over the Web,” he said. Such items include monthly reports and revenue management. “They’re there instantly instead of having to go through a paper process.” In addition, the savings— e.g., hundreds of thousands of dollars are saved on mailings alone annually, said Edmundson— are plowed back into other property support programs, “so the franchisee is getting more bang for the buck.” — Stefani C. O’Connor