BOOSIER CITY, LA— Infusing new life into rundown properties is a challenge that Jeff C. Rogers enjoys. Rogers, president of Southern Host Hospitality, LLC, is currently putting the finishing touches on a property here in Boosier City which he described as “a diamond in the rough.” Previously known as the Isle of Capri, the hotel was acquired for $3 million from Lea Hall Properties by a partnership consisting of Rogers, Daljeet Mann and Jagtar Otal and is now a Rodeway Inn. “We stole it,” Rogers said. “It sits on nine acres of land which was going to be developed into a mall but the deal fell through and the owners wanted to unload it. We walked in, saw the potential and Daljeet Mann decided to purchase it based on my recommendation.” Rogers has partnered with Mann and Otal on other properties in Boosier City including a 153-unit Quality Inn & Suites and a 101-unit Microtel Inn & Suites. “This is a riverboat gambling community and on Fridays and Saturdays we turn down 80 people a night at those properties because they are at 100% occupancy,” Rogers said. “With the Isle of Capri, we knew it needed some work— it’s 30 years old— but we also knew we could add 242 needed rooms to the market.” The decision was made to convert the property to a Rodeway Inn and offer an average rate of $75. “That rate is significantly lower than other hotels in Boosier City,” Rogers noted. The Isle of Capri, which operated as a Hilton for more than 20 years, had $1 million in renovations done in 2003, according to Rogers. Following its recent acquisition, $500,000 has been invested in the property to repaint it and install new carpeting, upgrade guest bathrooms and enhance the landscaping. Additionally, $50,000 is being spent to redo the parking lot. Other plans call for upgrading the pool area and creating a garden cabana. Southern Host Hospitality is a new company, having been formed in July 2005 when Mann and Otal began buying hotels and asked Rogers to develop and manage the properties. “At that time, three hotels were purchased at once— the Quality Inn and Microtel in Boosier City and the Quality Inn in West Monroe [LA]— and the sale was seamless and undetected by customers,” Rogers said. One year later, the hotels are doing well, he added. “On average, occupancy is 18% to 22% higher” than previously, he said. Other hotels in the portfolio include the Best Western Precious Moments in Carthage, MO, and the Comfort Suites in Maumelle (North Little Rock, AR). “The average occupancy at all of our hotels is in the high 80s and, in the summer months, 95%,” Rogers said. “We are very Choice Hotels-oriented,” he added. “We like their reservation system and support, and we feel their fees are fair and reasonable.” Rogers encourages a “family atmosphere” at his properties. “We are known for customer service and our guests know they will be treated like family,” he said. “That is one of the reasons we get a high percentage of repeat business, especially with the business traveler during the week when 45% to 50% of our guests are repeat.” Many of those guests get to know each other at the hotels’ weekday Happy Hours where there are complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres, he noted. “We also want our staff to feel like family and have regular pot luck lunches for them,” Rogers said. “We also pay them bonuses if we hit our revenue numbers.” The bonuses range from $50 to $200 and are awarded to all employees at the property, he added. “When you give housekeepers $200 bonuses, they are excited and will go the extra mile to make sure the room looks good,” he said. On average, the Quality Inn in Boosier City gives $200 bonuses about seven times a year, he noted. By the end of the year, Rogers and his partners, Mann and Otal, will have nine hotels in their portfolio including the Holiday Inn Express in Brownwood, TX; a Hampton Inn in the Dallas area; and a third unspecified property. Ultimately, the goal is a portfolio with 12 hotels, with some properties in new markets for the firm such as Alabama and Florida. “But we don’t want to be too spread out. The idea is to center everything around our corporate headquarters in Boosier City,” Rogers said. No matter how the company grows, Rogers said he will always operate using the same strategy: “Treat the guest like your number one priority and make them feel at home. Realize that they pay your salary,” he said.