DALLAS La Quinta Inns, just a month after opening its first franchised property, which is located in Jackson, MS, said it is on track to open a total of 15 franchised hotels this year.
Alan Tallis, the company s evp/chief development officer, told HOTEL BUSINESS. that additional properties at JFK Airport in New York, in Jupiter, FL; West Palm Beach, FL; Portland, OR; Texas, and California are already slated to come on-line within the next 60 days.
While the company plans to bring its franchised property total up to 15 this year, its goals going forward get increasingly aggressive. According to Tallis, 35 franchised properties will be added to the portfolio next year, and the company hopes to add 50 hotels (franchised) each year thereafter.
Our goal, in addition to being the pre-eminent franchising organization in the industry, is to develop with quality-minded hoteliers, said Tallis.
Tallis said he is unsure which property will come on-line next, as both the JFK Airport hotel and the property in Juniper, FL are nearing completion.
We have enjoyed a very strong response to our program and now have better than 80 properties in our pipeline, said Tallis.
A few of the 80 properties will be located outside of the continental United States, said Tallis, as La Quinta is very interested in international expansion.
We are in preliminary discussions with some groups to take the brand outside the U.S. These properties are likely to come on-line within the year, said Tallis. (5/4/01) Kelly Wayne