ATLANTA, GA— Microtel Inns & Suites and Hawthorn Suites recognized their top hotels and hoteliers for 2001, including Hotel of the Year and Franchisee of the Year, during the March 3 ceremonies closing the first day of U.S. Franchise Systems’ conference here. USFS is the parent company of the franchisor for the Microtel and Hawthorn hotel brands. Named as Hotel of the Year was the 77-room Microtel Inn & Suites in El Paso, TX, owned by El Paso Hotels LLC. It was noted the two-year-old hotel’s pro-active owner and staff have taken steps to help control the facility’s future by seeking out sales opportunities beyond those offered by its airport-convenient location. Additionally, the issue of high utility bills at the property was addressed via the implementation of an Energy IQ System. Franchisee-of-the-Year honors were accorded to Bhoopendar and Jett Mehta of Indus Hospitality LLC. The franchisees already have one hotel open in New York City, another under construction and scheduled to open there this summer, and five additional properties under various stages of development across New York State. Tapped as General Manager of the Year was Jill Lytle, of the Microtel property in Manistee, MI. Lytle served as general manager of the property since pre-construction, and has guided the hotel’s staff to produce perfect scores on quality-assurance inspections…as well as to post a 73% hotel occupancy rate for 2001. The Guest Services Hero Award went to the staff of the Microtel Inn & Suites in Overland Park, KS. It was pointed out the hotel has been lauded numerous times for “exceptional customer service,” once even providing a reclining chair from an employee’s home for one guest. Meanwhile, the Microtel Community Service Award was presented to Premier Hospitality LLC’s Microtel Inns & Suites in Dixon-Davis, CA and its owners, Mukesh and Kipali Nalk. Finally, Quality Excellence Awards were presented to 15 Microtel locations receiving a 99% perfect score on at least two consecutive quality-assurance inspections. Included were properties in: Ames, IA, owned by Monte Parrish; Beckley, WV, owned by Great Lakes Hospitality Corp.; Carlyle, IL owned by Carlyle Resorts; Colorado Springs, CO, owned by P.B. & Sons LLC; Green Bay, WI, owned by Garot Hospitality; Joplin, MO, owned by KAM Properties; Leesburg, FL, owned by Leesburg Innkeepers LLC; McAlester – South, OK, owned by S & B Construction Co.; Mt. Pleasant, MI, owned by M-D Investments Land Management LLC; Pigeon Forge – Music Road, TN, owned by Highlander Hospitality LP; Rapid City, SD, owned by Chrisbro LLC; Rochester, MN, owned by Larson Investments LLC; Saint Genevieve, MO, owned by Cletus Stratman; and Sulphur, LA, owned by Hospitality Associates of Sulphur Ltd. On the Hawthorn Suites side, honored with the Hotel-of-the-Year Award was the Hawthorn Suites in Wichita Falls, TX, a 60-suite hotel owned by WF Hospitality Ltd. Since the hotel opened in 1999, the staff has reportedly helped maintain the property’s home-like setting to welcome guests “like part of the family.” Hawthorn similarly recognized brothers Dinesh and Vinod Kalidas as Franchisees of the Year. They joined the Hawthorn family in 1997 when they opened a 130-suite property in Orlando, FL near Universal Studios. Further investment in the brand resulted in the pair opening yet another Hawthorn property in the area, this one at the Orlando International Airport. In other developments, Pat Turland from the Hawthorn Suites in Killeen, TX was presented with the brand’s General Manager-of-the-Year Award. Additionally, Salesperson-of-the-Year recognition was bestowed upon Maureen Morgan of the Hawthorn Suites in Franklin, MA. As for the brand’s Guest Services Hero Award, that was bequeathed to Christine Picardi, executive housekeeper in the Chelmsford, MA property. She reportedly follows in the footsteps of her mother, who was a housekeeper for more than 20 years. Other award-winners include: • The Hawthorn Suites A
