ELFA ROA Regional Directors - Rodeway Ownersrodewayowners.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Winter2012.pdf · ELFA ROA Regional Directors Econo Lodge Franchisee Association Rodeway Inn

4293 US Route 4 East

Mendon, VT 05701– 6806

P: 802-786– 2260

F: 802–786- 5237

C: 802-345-6692

Ross Almo, CHA Executive Director E: [email protected]

ELFA ROA Regional Directors

Econo Lodge Franchisee Association Rodeway Inn Franchisee Association

ELFA Regional Directors

President: Mahendra Patel (732) 329-4555 Ext. 307

Vice President and Region 9 Director: Katen Patel (503) 504-5566

Treasurer and Region 8 Director: Amish Patel (618) 664-3030

Secretary and Region 6 Director: Mike Adams (716) 825-1400

Immediate Past President: Natu Patel (803) 328-2000

Region 1 Director: OPEN

Region 2 Director: Manish Desai (334) 745-3115

Region 3 Director: Pete Patel (843) 797-8200

Region 4 Director: Kal Masters (757) 855-3116

Region 5 Director: Alka Patel (609) 927-3220

Region 6 Director: Mike Adams (716) 825-1400

Region 7 Director: Dave Patel (931) 293-2111

Region 8 Director: Amrish Patel (618) 664-3030

Region 9 Director: Katen Patel (503) 504-5566

Region 10 Director: Aroon Patel (936) 295-6401

Region 11 Director: Dilip Vekaria (505) 722-3800

Region 12 Director: Vikas Patel (408) 984-3364

Region 13 Director: Hasu Patel (816) 464-5082

ROA Chair Members Chairman: Neil Bhakta (760) 746-0441 Vice Chairman: Amit Patel (386) 255-3617 Past Chairman: Kay Collier-Pittman (865) 453-2526 Northeast Region I: Dinu Patel (203) 481-4528 Southeast Region ll: Rajal Patel (407) 504-1079

Central Region lll: David Holl (308) 698-2810

West Region lV: Manoj Patel (626) 969-7957

The articles in this publication are independently written and are not necessarily the opinions of ELFA/ROA Board. Please verify information prior to any initiation. ELFA/ROA take no responsibility for misinformation, we do however apologize for any errors.

Visit ELFA.org and RodewayOwners.com

your selected program offering con-sistent products. If you need to make a change please contact ehelp or ORC. By now all approved ven-dors are offering the new Rodeway Inn soaps and shampoos. Remem-ber, you are allowed to use up your old stocks.

Your association leadership along with Choice Hotels is currently evaluating fall regional meeting op-tions for the year 2012. ROA has been busy and had a productive 2011. Future plans for 2012 include plans to address the following: wire-less internet standards, coop, impact issues, Choice Advantage, advertis-ing and marketing plus GIS rankings and thresholds.

If you have comments or sug-gestions for your association please feel free to contact myself, Ross Almo or your Regional ROA Director. We would love to receive input from the Rodeway Owners.

Neil (Nilesh) Bhakta [email protected]

I would like to wish all Rodeway and Econo Lodge fran-chisees a Happy New Year! I hope everyone experienced an improvement in your hotel’s ADR

and Occupancy in year 2011. During the last year, the lodging industry from economy segments to luxury levels reported a positive ADR, REVPAR and Occupancy in the U.S. Forecast report shows that this posi-tive trend will continue in 2012, how-ever at a moderate level.

Choice Hotels Int’s annual convention is at the Mandalay in Las Vegas on May 15th-17th. Again, this year we will be combining the Rode-way Owner’s Association meeting with the Rodeway Inn Choice Corpo-rate session. Please check ChoiceCentral for day and time. This will be a great opportunity to meet and network with your fellow Rode-

way owners, managers, and leader-ship from the Owners Association and Choice Hotels Int.

I would like to update you on a few ongoing important issues with the Rodeway Brand. Everyone should be aware that LRA is no longer conducting inspections for Rodeways. Your property is evalu-ated based on GIS scores. You have been receiving your property’s GIS report (Red, Green, Yellow) zone report. Please continue to monitor your scores and make adjustments at the property level as needed to keep your property in the GREEN zone. Remember if your property goes into the RED zone, you will be visited by LRA and you will be charged a fee for it!

All Rodeways were contacted by the Operational Resource Team concerning your Property’s breakfast preference. You have the options of: Continental, Full Hot or Coffee Only. These may be changed annually, but you are required to continue with

Letter from the ROA President

W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

S P E C I A L P O I N T S

O F I N T E R E S T :

• Econo Lodge “Easy Does It” Page 2

• Director Elections Page 4

• ChoiceHotels.com

Reaches Milestone Page 5

• Customer Care Page 6

• Choice on Facebook Page 7

• Selling to the Government Page 8

• Rodeway Quality Assurance Page 9

• Coop 2012 Page 10

• Directors Back Cover

Message to Franchisees Regarding Bruce HaaseEffective January 31, Bruce Haase has stepped down from his position at Choice Hotels Interna-tional. He will be providing interim support for several months to ensure that his responsibilities can be fully transitioned. During Bruce’s 12 years at Choice, he has provided incredible leadership and created unsurpassed growth for the company on a global scale. It’s a testament to Bruce that over the years he built many strong relationships with our franchisees and the owners’ councils. As many of you know firsthand, Bruce’s contributions to Choice are many. He has been a champion for franchisees and employees throughout Choice, and his presence and leadership will be greatly missed. Coincident with Bruce’s departure, we will be focusing the executive team around two key areas of Supply and Demand leadership—with Pat Pacious, EVP of Global Strategy, Distribution and Tech-nology, leading the Demand strategy and expanding his role to include leadership for Franchise Services, Performance Analytics and International Operations—and with Alexandra Jaritz, SVP of Brand Strategy and Marketing, reporting to President and CEO Steve Joyce and joining the execu-tive team on the Supply side of the equation in her role leading the Brands and Marketing organiza-tion. David Pepper in his role as SVP, Global Development and Mike Murphy, SVP, Cambria Suites and Ascend Collection, will both now report directly to Steve. We believe these organizational align-ments optimize Choice’s strategic positioning as a global distribution organization with a strong sta-ble of brands and franchise-rich resources. Choice wishes Bruce all the best as he embarks on the next chapter of his career, and we will long remember and benefit from the legacy that he leaves.

ELFA ROA Regional Directors ELFA Regional Directors

President: Natu Patel (803) 328-2000


Treasurer and Region 13 Director: Hasu Patel: (816) 464-5082


Immediate Past President and Region 6 Director: Mahendra Patel (732) 329-4555

Past President: Leonard Richardson (757) 491-3195

Region 1 Director: Bharat Patel (941) 962-3882



Region 4 Director: Kal Master (757) 855-3116

Region 5 Director: Mahendra Patel (732) 329-4555





Region 10 Director: Gary Koester: (901) 684-1234


Region 12 Director: Sila Patel (310) 398-1651

Region 13 Director: Hasu Patel: (816) 464-5082

ROA Regional Directors

President: Neil Bhakta (760) 746-0441

Past President: Kay Collier-Pittman (865) 453-2526

Region 1 Director: Dinu Patel (203) 481-4528

Region 2 Director: Amit Patel (386)453-8959

Region 3 Director: Sam Bhakta (785) 841-8410


Ross Almo,CHA Executive Director Econo Lodge Franchisee Association Rodeway Inn Franchisee Association 51 US Route 4 Mendon, VT 05701-9652 Phone: (802) 786-2260 Fax: (802) 786-5237 Email: [email protected] Board, Banks and SBA Lenders.

Funds are currently available for both temporary loans as well as long term loans. Loan require-ments are very detail oriented so allow plenty of time to complete the process. For additional infor-mation go to SBA.gov Expedia –Hotwire - After long negations Choice has signed a three year contract with Expedia. The contract Choice franchisees offers a new opaque rate program with Hotwire. I send my thanks to Choice’s Senior Management. Team & ELFA, ROA & CHOC Associations LRA Inspection - As we roll into 2010 more properties have been inspected. Choice will provide ELFA with an overview of Brand performance by convention and Room Condition Inspections weigh heavily on the 36 Points. The day to day business of clean-ing the areas guests most often judge will push your property up the scale.

Continued on page 2

I would like to welcome all ELFA Members and Allied Vendors and Associations. It was great chal-lenge this year for the Associa-tions Joint Committees: Allied Vendors, QAR and Standards, Room Condition Task Force, Technology, Marketing and Reser-vation, Coop, PR and Member-ship, Education and Meetings, Bylaws and Elections. I applaud and congratulate all ELFA Direc-tors who worked so hard putting in their time to attend meetings away from their families to deliver high-est benefits to our members and our Brand Outlook - The industry is antici-pating interest rates to go up this year. Housing and moderate com-mercial landing may be available. Please read all loan documents very carefully or let your attorney explain them to you. If you buy a motel please negotiate the terms and conditions with the Franchi-sor.

Allied Vendor Program- please visits ELFA.org where vendor specials and discounts are spot-lighted to provide you with vari-ous Economy Brand specific prod-ucts and services. ELFA and its Allied Vendors are always striving to assist ELFA’s members during these tough times.

Stimulation Money- Is available through your Region Development

2010 Started off with another rebuild project for Rodeway Inn, Rebuilding Together’s 15th annual kickoff charity event occurred in the city of the Super Bowl to revitalize communities in need. This year along with CHI, CHOC and ELFA we worked together on fixing up five houses in the Coco-nut Grove area of Miami. This is a great exposure for Choice Hotels and Rodeway Inn at an enormous sporting event!

QAR Update; After our first round of inspections Choice has been able to identify some of the top miss standards for Rodeway Inn which include: Nightstand, HVAC, Bathtub, Bedding, Desk-Chair for Cleanliness. Desk-Chair, Parking area, Doors/walls, Bathtub, Bed-ding for Condition. As these are the areas where most of our ho-tels need improvement, please pay extra attention to these areas.

Please visit our brand page on Choice Central to get familiar with our new QAR form now being used for inspection. The majority of weight is now being focused on cleanliness and room condition. It’s a great idea to walk through your own property with a printout of QAR form. This ensures that there will not be any surprises and you won’t be caught off guard regarding any items.

Continued on page 2

Natu Patel President

Letter from the ELFA President

Letter from ROA President

WINTER 2010

S PE CI A L P O IN TS O F INT ERE ST

� New Choice

Hotels.com is here—- see page 5 for more information

� Remember to

nominate your fellow hoteliers for APEX awards—— see page 7 for more information

� Want to keep on

top of the indus-try—- see page 9 for FREE Trade Publications






























Continued on page 2







Continued on page 2




WINTER 2010


� New Choice


� Remember to


� Want to keep on


P A G E 2

2012: EA SY D OES IT !

B Y C R A I G M U S T A R D , D I R E C T O R B R A N D S T R A T E G Y

As we move into the New Year, we want to reconfirm our commitment to making it “Easy” to own and operate an Econo Lodge hotel. With business already bouncing back and forecasts showing continued increases in the future, we are focused on streamlining our operations and driving more reservations and return for your hotels. In 2012, we’ll continue to focus on the right things that will save you money, and yet meet our guests’ expectations. We con-tinue to look at programs and standards that can drive value without increasing costs. Some of the things we are doing include removing the following requirements: 1. The Lotion Bath Amenity (optional now) 2. The need for 24/7 Technical Support for High Speed Internet Access (optional) 3. The Logoed Entry Welcome Mat (now optional) 4. Feminine Hygiene Products in public restrooms 5. Side tables as part of your pool furniture 6. Pool Towels distribution. You will now be allowed to provide these at the Front Desk. 7. Cribs and Iron/Ironing Boards – reduced to a minimum of 1 per property – pieces of equipment to 2 for properties under 60 rooms that advertise a fitness room. And we'll continue to look at our standards and remove those items that no longer provide real value to our guests. Whenever we work on programs, we always keep your return on investment in mind. We’ll also help you make your property the easy stop on the road for guests. Our Easy Starts™ Free Continental Breakfast program is now in full swing and our high speed internet requirement is fast approaching – things our guests not only want, but demand! We are also being held accountable for higher performance through our Performance Zones compliance program. Together, we’ll make consumers see Econo Lodge as:

Easy to find. Easy to book. Easy on the wallet. I look forward to working with you in 2012 to help the Econo Lodge brand excel.

Standards Committee 2011 and 2012 will be known as the years of changes for the standards of Econo Lodge and Rodeway. In 2011 we saw compliance zone being put in to place for our properties. In 2012 the GIS segment will be applied to compliance zone. Remember that you have to be in the green or you will suffer consequences. Now the big news is the most recent announcement by Choice that we will no longer be inspected by LRA. We are now and have always been inspected by our guest. Our inspection scores will be directly related to our GIS scores. If you do not meet the minimum scoring levels, you will then be visited by your BPC in order to restore your property to a passing level. As a special note: the bottom 1% of your surveys will be eliminated from your scoring (1 for every 100). This will help eliminate those odd or off the wall surveys. New for 2012 is our new breakfast. “Easy Starts” You will see many new catch phases with the “Easy” reference in them. Remember that by the end of this year(12/31/2012) all Econo Lodge properties have to have WIFI in all rooms. Your Econo Lodge Franchise Association has worked hard to get new vendors to help control cost for these changes. Please check with the ELFA endorsed vendors for any of your upcoming projects. Your ELFA team has worked with Choice to help make the new programs better for each property owner and operator. If you have questions, please feel free to call your Regional Director whose phone # can be found at ELFA.ORG and on the back cover. By: Mike Adams, ELFA Secretary, Region VI Director

P A G E 3 W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

We are excited to announce the winners of the 2012 economy Platinum and Gold Awards. Honoring the top-performing hotels in each brand, the awards are granted on a hotel’s position within the Property Ranking System.

Economy properties in the top 3% of their brand receive "Platinum Award" status Economy properties in the top 10% of their brand receive "Gold Award" status

The 2012 awards were based on the Property Ranking Reports published in December (rankings as of November 30, 2011).

2012 ECONOMY PLATINUM AWARD WINNERS

Econo Lodge CA300 Econo Lodge Moonlight Beach Encinitas

CO221 Econo Lodge Calhan

CT073 Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Airport Windsor Locks

FL356 Econo Lodge Crestview

IA046 Econo Lodge Sioux Center

IL318 Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Greenville

MI232 Econo Lodge On the Bay Menominee

MN045 Econo Lodge Rochester

MS171 Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Horn Lake

NE119 Econo Lodge Kearney

NM014 Econo Lodge Silver City

OR031 Econo Lodge Southeast Milwaukie

OR183 Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Hillsboro

PA170 Econo Lodge Arena Wilkes-Barre

TX816 Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Corpus Christi VA166 Econo Lodge Metro Arlington

VA231 Econo Lodge on the Ocean Virginia Beach

VT022 Econo Lodge Saint Albans

WA228 Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Bellingham

Rodeway Inn AK031 Rodeway Inn Voyager Hotel Anchorage

AR191 Rodeway Inn & Suites Searcy

AZ253 Rodeway Inn Silver Creek Inn Taylor

AZ351 Rodeway Inn & Suites Sierra Vista

CA962 Rodeway Inn Barstow

CAC09 Rodeway Inn Cypress

NE011 Rodeway Inn & Suites Kearney

TX982 Rodeway Inn Junction

WI078 Rodeway Inn Abbotsford

P A G E 4

Association Director Elections ELFA and ROA will be holding elections for Even Region Directors at this years Choice Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NV May 15 – 17. In accordance with each Associations Bylaws, all those interested in running must:

1. Own or Manage in the Region they seek to represent. 2. Paid Membership Dues before April 1st *All Rodeway Inns are members of ROA. 3. Must be nominated or self nominated on or before April 1ST, 2012 4. Must be present during your Association’s session and elections

In the event if there are no nominations for a region prior to April 1st, then the process is open to nominations up until immediatley prior to the election for any candidate meeting all qualifications.

ELFA Regions 2 4 6 8 10 12 Region Position Incumbent Nomination Nomination Region 2 Director Manish Desai ___________ ___________ Vice Chair Nitin Shal ___________ ___________ Region 4 Director Kal Master Leonard Richardson ___________ Vice Chair _________ Kal Master ___________ Region 6 Director Mike Adams ___________ ___________ Vice Chair Julie Stone ___________ ___________ Region 8 Director Amrish Patel ___________ ___________ Vice Chair __________ ___________ ___________ Region 10Director Aroon Patel ___________ ___________ Vice Chair Hasu Patel ___________ ___________ Region 12Director Vikas Patel ___________ ___________ Vice Chair __________ ___________ ___________ Email Nominations to: Natu Patel [email protected] or Ross Almo [email protected] ROA Regions 2 and 4 Region Position Incumbent Nomination Nomination Region 2 Director Rajal Patel __________ ___________ Region 4 Director Manoj Patel __________ ___________

Why Should I Join ELFA?

ELFA has played a significant role in building the Econo Lodge brand. With your participation and support we can continue to make a dif-ference. ELFA has continually worked to keep the Econo Lodge brand strong within its market and in the Choice family. ELFA is the key between Franchisees and the Franchisor. ELFA is your Association. We all need to participate and contribute to ourselves, our properties and to ELFA. ELFA has developed a new web site full of information. ELFA.org can help all Hotel owners and managers to understand how to grow our brand, individual properties and how to succeed in business. Please visit ELFA.org regularly for updated information, accomplishments, achievements as well as current and archived Newsletters. The web site also has information on Co-op participation, Allied Vendor program and Board contact information. The ELFA Team is here and ready to assist you. Please contact your Regional Director with your ideas, suggestion and challenges. United we become a strong voice, as a unit, we become a strong Brand. As a strong Brand we all benefit with stronger sales and profitability. Please join ELFA today. Pete Patel, Chair, ELFA Membership Committee

P A G E 5 W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

Choice’s Web and Mobile Platforms Reach Major Milestones in 2011

Choice’s mobile and web platforms reached major milestones in 2011. ChoiceHotels.com generated over $1 billion in revenue, marking a 13.4 percent (YTD December 2011) increase over 2010. On the mobile front, revenue generated through Choice’s iPhone, Android and mobile ChoiceHotels.com platforms increased to $32.5 million, a 252 percent increase year-over-year in 2011! “These milestones continue to indicate that both our traditional web platform and the growing mobile channels represent a tremendous opportu-nity for Choice and its franchisees,” said Robert McDowell, senior vice president, Global Distribution. “By capitalizing on these platforms, we continue our efforts to provide consumers with the ability to book Choice brand hotels through the channels that fit their lifestyle and booking preferences.” Some highlights of distribution milestones to celebrate: In November, Choice’s mobile website marked its first month generating $1 million in revenue. The new mobile version of ChoiceHotels.com, launched earlier in the year allows consumers accessing the site via the browser on their mobile devices to use GPS-based search functions, access multiple room rates with room descriptions, a photo gallery, one-touch calling, lists of property amenities and features, single-sign-on for rewards accounts, multi-currency display and more. The Android app, launched in August 2011, has already been downloaded and installed 16,381 times. Choice’s Android app offers users simple functionality to find and book a hotel room instantly on their phones and features GPS technology and mapping functionality to help road warriors find the nearest Choice Hotels properties to any given location while traveling. 2011 also marked the one-millionth download of Choice’s iPhone application. The Choice Hotels Locator app, which was the first global iPhone app for the hotel industry and one of Apple’s “New and Noteworthy” apps after its initial launch in 2009, also works on iPod Touch and iPad. The free app generates thousands of same-day and next-day reservations every month and is used by more than 1,500 consumers on a daily basis. Through November 2011, more than 98 million consumers visited ChoiceHotels.com, representing a 5.5 percent increase year-over-year. With more than 40 percent of that traffic delivered via Choice’s paid search efforts and continued efforts to optimize organic search, ChoiceHotels.com is the lowest cost, highest revenue producing platform for franchisees. In 2011, the site received a Gomez Best of the Web Silver Award for web-site performance. “In 2012, we’ll continue to enhance our mobile platforms with the launch of the first iPad app, plans to go fully native with all mobile apps, the introduction of text messaging capability, more robust usage of maps and enhanced mobile content,” added McDowell. We look forward to sharing more news and information on the exciting enhancements to these fast-moving technologies in the coming months.

“What’s New on ELFA.org” By Natu Patel

The new web site launched on January 1, 2012. The new site has a new look and is easy to navigate. Many thanks to my counterpart, Region 11 Director, Dilip Vekaria who assisted me with every aspect of its development. Cyber Web Hotels have been a pleasure to work with. “www.ELFA.org” is where you find everything about The Econo Lodge Franchisee Association. All Board members and our Executive Director contact information is easily accessible on the site. If there are any suggestions, comments or issues we can assist you with please contact one of us. The ELFA board members strive to serve you the best they can and answer your questions as quick as possible. ELFA.org is to serve our membership. If you are not currently a member, you can find an application on the site. Also, visit the Allied Vendor section for great deals on products and services. Do not forget to join ELFA on Face Book and Twitter.

“Economy Outlook” By Natu Patel

In my opinion room sales will be flat for 2012 and 2013. There is lot of unclear data out there, which I believe will not motivate the economy. Both the government and lending institutes need to be encouraged to lower long term financing rates and free up lending funds. Utilities, wages, and other services continue to see cost increases as high as 40% over the next few years. In most markets, economy hotels do not have the luxury of raising their rates. Our net income is lower than ever with profit margin will be narrower and narrower. Everyone needs to be aware of internet marketing costs, as they evolve they continue to increase. All indications point toward top of mind economy brands like Econo Lodge will begin to recover and grow sooner than mid and upscale hotels. Econo Lodge continues to foster better relations with its guests and with Choice Hotels. Remember; keep it clean and deliver the best customer service possible.

Convention Registration Open

Registration for Choice’s 58th Annual Convention, May 15-17, 2012, at the beautiful Mandalay Bay Resort and Convention Center in Las Vegas is open! Be sure to check your email and visit ChoiceCentral.com for the latest event and regis-tration information. As Choice returns to Las Vegas, make plans to join your fellow franchi-sees for three days of education, networking, and celebration. High-lights include the Corpo-rate Business Session, Marketplace, hundreds of educational sessions, plus new and exciting events to make your time in Las Vegas valuable and memorable. Please note the correct Convention dates are May 15-17 – the original dates were May 22-24, but were moved to ac-commodate our space requirements. We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas, May 15-17, 2012.

P A G E 6 2012 Starts Strong in Customer Care and Reservations

Each year as we enter the first quarter, we know that our hotels are ready to dive in and prepare for an excit-ing new year. Choice’s Customer Care and Reservations department is no different. Like you, we take ad-vantage of the time that lower volumes grant us in order to do several things:

Review and assess our performance throughout 2011 Plan for 2012 and set performance and financial objectives Develop and grow our staff through educational programs and coaching.

For Customer Care and Reservations, winter is a time of renewal as our team members at all levels get re-energized and re-focused on helping our hotels maximize their revenue in 2012. 2011 Performance Highlights We are pleased that we saw faster service levels last year, resulting in 77% of calls being answered in 20 seconds or less during 2011. Conversion and revenue per call were also strong, averaging 48% and $57.65 respectively. Year over year, we had a very busy peak season in 2011 and handled almost 25,000 more calls in June, July, and August than we did during the same period in 2010. When you consider the average revenue per call, that’s about $1.5 million more revenue for our hotels this past summer versus 2010. Call Forwarding Our Call Forwarding program had 1,307 hotels enrolled as of the end of 2011, representing almost 910,000 calls year-to-date, a 15% increase over 2010. In August, we removed from the program approximately 150 properties that were enrolled for over a year but failed to activate their service. This change created room for more hotels to actively participate in the program. In addition, we began offering Call Forwarding in Europe, where the program launched on July 1, 2011. We have three properties from the U.K. participating in Call Forwarding so far. In the next few months, we are also launching in Ireland. Call Forwarding is a great opportunity for ELFA/ROA properties which today make up approximately 9% of the program. You can learn more about the return on investment that our Call Forwarding program offers by calling Stephanie Hartman, Manager, Reservation Sales & Call Forwarding Operations, at 970.254.3606. In Customer Care and Reservations, we continue to identify ways to enhance the services we provide for franchisees, and we thank you for your continued business.

Town Hall Meetings Fall 2012

After much review by all brands, ROA and ELFA are working toward having a more grass roots approach to fall meetings. ELFA-ROA representing the Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn Franchisees are planning to have 10 meetings with loca-tions easily accessible by the majority of our properties. Owners and Managers will have an opportunity to attend education sessions and get brought up to date on their brand. These small, informal meetings will allow open conversation amongst participants and Choice Hotels. In addition, all education classes will designed solely for Economy Brands. APEX winners will be honored during the Awards Luncheon. The meetings will only be one day, which will cut down on all ex-penses. The Association’s felt this is the best approach to assist owners to save money, increase participation and efficiency. This new concept has not yet been initiated, but a final decision is forthcoming. Stay tuned. Amit Patel, ROA Vice President

BEHR Paint 20% OFF ELFA & ROA are invited to use the Associations Phone Number as the discount code: 8027862260 Home Depot’s improved system, called Paint Rewards will allow you the ability to go through any register at any time of the day. You will be required to enter the code number (8027862260) at the credit card key pad. This will give you an instant 20% discount.

Choice Hotels Joins Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/choicehotels)

Choice Hotels is pleased to announce that we have enhanced our social media strategy by launching a presence on Facebook, the popular, free social media platform that boasts more than 800 million active users worldwide. With the launch of a Facebook page, Choice Hotels is reaching, responding to and engaging with customers and guests who want to connect with us on this platform, while driving traffic to ChoiceHotels.com. All brands are represented, as well as Choice Privileges, and members of the Facebook community are being invited to “like” our page. "Launching a Choice Facebook page with booking engine capabilities provides our hotels yet another distribution channel for guests to find and book our hotels," said Kelly Poling, VP Distribution Strategy & eCommerce. " We look forward to this new distribution chan-nel delivering even more reservations through ChoiceHotels.com, further strengthening the power of our distribution platform, and expanding our distribution reach by building a social audience, engaging with users and acquiring new customers." An integrated booking engine allows users to start a hotel search within Facebook and complete their booking on ChoiceHotels.com. Choice’s Facebook page features a variety of content including:

Brand updates Choice Privileges information Company news announcements Property spotlights Community involvement and social responsibility activities Fun contests/trivia Promotions and events

If you use Facebook, we invite you to “like” Choice’s Facebook page. We want all franchisees and their staff to know that we have in place very specific processes to ensure consumers will receive the best service possible and that any concerns they may post are quickly addressed. Any negative comments or questions will be addressed quickly by approved Choice employees, and routed to your hotel through Choice’s existing customer care processes if needed. Franchisees and operators who have comments, questions or concerns are asked to address them through appropriate channels, such as your Brand Performance Consultant, and not through Facebook. Choice’s social media presence is intended as an opportunity to grow awareness of Choice brands and drive reservations to your hotels through the lowest-cost channel, ChoiceHotels.com. Social media guidelines for hotels will be available on ChoiceCentral.com in the coming weeks. If your hotel is active in social media or wants more information, we encourage you to take part in a regional training opportunity. Upcoming op-portunities for the first quarter of 2012 include: February 2 & 3: Columbus, OH February 22& 23: San Jose, CA Please visit ChoiceU.com for more information, to register and to learn about upcoming social media regional training opportuni-ties. If you would like to have a Social Media Workshop sched-uled in your area, please contact your Brand Performance Con-sultant (BPC). Several handouts with useful Social Media information are avail-able on ChoiceCentral.com: Social Media Marketing - http://apps.choicecentral.com/ccweb/content/resources/ecomm/chcom/SocMedMkt.pdf Advanced Social Media http://apps.choicecentral.com/ccweb/content/resources/ecomm/chcom/AdvSocMed.pdf We are excited to launch the Choice Facebook page to reach more guests through this popular social media platform.

P A G E 7

Did You Know? Two thirds of online travelers are Facebook users.1 Facebook referred more than 15.2 mil-lion visitors to hotel websites in 2010, a 35% increase from 2009.2

Sources:

1PhoCusWright Traveler Technology Survey 2010: Social Net-

works | September 2010

2PhoCusWright Social Media in Travel 2011: Traffic, Activity &

Sentiment | July 2011

Facebook is the preferred social platform for interacting with brands, topping Twitter and LinkedIn.

78 percent of consumers who like brands on Facebook said they like fewer than 10 brands.

51 percent of consumers said they are more likely to buy a product since becoming a fan on Facebook.

Source: http://www.allfacebook.com/are-facebook-fans-useful-study-says-yes-2011-09

Listed below are instructions on how to do business with the US Government.

Opportunities for Small Businesses

· Purchases under $150,000 are usually set-aside for small businesses.

· The Small Business Administration (SBA) uses the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) to determine industry type & size standards. Size standards are usually determined either by the number of employees, or average annual receipts. www.sba.gov/size http://www.naics.com/

How the Federal Government Buys What it Needs.

· "Micro-Purchases" under $3,000 can be made without obtaining competitive quotes, using a Government Purchase Card.

· FedBid is an online reverse auction site: www.fedbid.com

· Online bidding is available at the Dept of Defense site: www.dibbs.bsm.dla.mil

· Purchases over $25,000 are found on FedBizOpps: www.fbo.gov

· “Best Value” purchasing allows an agency to award contracts based on criteria other than price - a better warranty, or a faster delivery date for example.

· Multi-Agency Contracts (MACs) & Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs ) centralize purchases of commonly used items like carpeting, furniture, office supplies, maintenance, perishable foods and so on.

· A “GSA Schedule” contract is a great way to gain exposure in this marketplace; but remember that you will be competing with many other companies. www.gsa.gov

Codes, Numbers and Registrations

· DUNS. Your Dun & Bradstreet number certifies that you are financially capable of fulfilling your obligations. You must have a different DUNS number for each location. www.dnb.com

· TINS. Your Tax ID number certifies your organization type (Incorporated, Sole Proprietor etc). It can either be your IRS-assigned Employee ID number, or your Social Security number

· CAGE. Commercial and Government Entity Codes are used to identify your company for payment purposes. You must have a different CAGE code for each location. http://www.dlis.dla.mil/cage_welcome.asp

· FSC. Federal Supply Classification codes are assigned to both products (10-99) & services (A-Z). They are then sub-divided, to give a more exact description.

· CCR. You MUST register here in order to be awarded government contracts. You provide basic company information, which is used to confirm your company status, and allows payments to be made to you via EFT. www.ccr.gov

· ORCA. Certify your company profile at the Online Representations & Certifications site http://orca.bpn.gov/

Lisa Barham, President Hotel Resources Sales & Marketing Solutions for the Hospitality Industry 1354 Cross Timber Drive Southlake, TX 76092 Tel: (817) 424-0305 Cell: (817) 360-6009 Fax: (866) 235-2556

“How to Sell to the Federal Government”

P A G E 9

Rodeway Quality Standards Now Focus on the Voice of Your Guests

As part of a long‐term effort to improve the quality of our hotels and franchisee return on investment, Choice has made positive changes to how Rodeway brand hotels are evaluated for compliance with quality standards and re‐warded for performance. All Rodeway brand hotels have now transitioned to a guest‐focused approach that uses guest satisfaction levels captured in the Guest Insight System (GIS) and Guest Relations to determine which hotels require a inspection or qualify for awards. These changes allow owners to concentrate on the elements of the guest experience that are most important and al‐low Choice to monitor, promote and reward improvement in the Rodeway brand. Rodeway brand hotels are now evaluated based on 12‐month average Guest Insight System (GIS) scores for the following areas: GIS Overall Condition of Guest Room GIS Overall Cleanliness of Guest Room And from Guest Relations: Complaints per 1,000 Occupied Room Nights (CPT) Hotels that meet and maintain the standards for all of these areas will no longer receive a regular Quality Assurance Review (QAR), but will be encouraged to focus on continuously improving the guest experience at their hotels. If a hotel does not meet the standards for any one of these areas for six consecutive months, the following process will be initiated. 1. The hotel will receive a Product Quality Review inspection that diagnoses areas of improvement and charged the

cost of this inspection. 2. Guest satisfaction scores will then be monitored for another six months. 3. Steps one and two will repeat until the hotel meets standards for guest satisfaction. Owners are responsible for the cost of all Product Quality Review inspections performed due to non‐compliance, and guest satisfaction performance will be a significant factor considered at each hotel’s contract window review. Property Ranking has also been modified as a result of these changes. Your property is now ranked by the same scores that will determine your quality assurance compliance and this ranking impacts your eligibility for Platinum and Gold awards announced each January.

Visit RodewayOwners.com

P A G E 1 0

Co-op Update By David Holl ROA Region 3 Director

Rodeway & Econolodge will have a unique opportunity to participate in basically two coop’s this year, one being the local coops that we have been participating in and the other is a national economy brand marketing program. The economy properties have been split off of the CHOC regional coop’s. But, due to the fact that many of the local coop’s have had their marketing in place prior to this decision, Choice and CHOC are going to allow properties already in coop to maintain their presence on those web pages, or other marketing venues. Many of your board members argued the fact that we have effectively already paid for that advertising and should have the opportunity to participate. In some areas, marketing has been purchased for more than this year as in the case with maps that are printed every couple of years. The unique opportunity for us this year is that Choice is going to take the allocated coop dollars for our coop participating economy hotels and develop a targeted online campaign. The line of reasoning has been that the demographics of our economy hotels is different than that of the midscale hotels and that Choice in working with MMG can generate a greater leverage in marketing to our clientele. According to Joey Martin with Choice the Economy Co-op program independ-ent of Midscale will pay for:

Ø A Banner Advertising Program Ø Semi-Annual Revenue Performance Tracking

Ø Two Major Campaign Periods Ø Banner Ad Creative/Production Allocation

Ø Drive Consumers to a Dedicated Co-op Landing Page to support the Banner Ads

Our hope is that participating hotels will find a return on their investment. At least for this year we will be able to experience the strength and stabil-ity of our local coop’s along with this national marketing feature.

Region 1 o 8% total coop properties o 18% participation of brand type Region 2 o 9% total coop properties o 28% participation of brand type Region 3 o 10% total coop properties o 28% participation of brand type Region 4 o 16% total coop properties o 35% participation of brand type

Region 5 o 8% total coop properties o 39% participation of brand type Region 6 o 9% total coop properties o 39% participation of brand type Region 7 o 10% total coop properties o 50% participation of brand type Region 8 o 5% total coop properties o 33% participation of brand type

Region 9 o 7% total coop properties o 39% participation of brand type Region 10 o 6% total coop properties o 37% participation of brand type Region 11 o 9% total coop properties o 51% participation of brand type Region 12 o 11% total coop properties o 64% participation of brand type Region 13 o 7% total coop properties o 37% participation of brand type

Here are some of the numbers for our economy brand participation:

Introducing choice�ADVANTAGE IDEAlink

In a previous news letter, we mentioned that 62% percent of features added to choiceADVANTAGE, were based on your ideas and the nearly 53,000 people who voted on the ideas of your fellow hoteliers. Although our idea management system had been a great success, the development of your suggestions could not be tracked; therefore, we are pleased to announce the new choiceADVANTAGE IDEAlink! This new tool will allow us to communicate the ideas that are progressing through the development process as it is directly integrated into the Development software. As of December 30, 2011 the direct link from choiceADVANTAGE to Spigit was replaced with a link to choiceADVANTAGE IDEAlink on the “Got Ideas” tab. Unfortunately, we could not bring all of your existing suggestions with us to choiceADVANTAGE IDEAlink, so the Product Management team has determined 50 ideas that are most likely to be included in a future release and entered them into the new tool for you. We are pleased to see that the new choiceADVANTAGE IDEAlink has been very well received with nearly 300 submitted ideas and over 4,000 votes in less than a month! We are confident that the new IDEAlink tool will provide you with an easy-to-use interface to continue to share your suggestions on ways to im-prove your choiceADVANTAGE system and we thank you for your feedback.

P A G E 1 1

Ovation Networks Introduces Hospitality’s First Occupancy and Comfort Sensing Energy Management Technology Utilizing Wi-Fi

and Carbon Dioxide

Energy-Saving EcoManaged service Launched at 2011 HITEC show

Cedar Rapids, IA-based Ovation Networks, (www.ovationnetworks.com) a premier provider of managed technology services for the hospitality industry, announced its new patent-pending energy man-agement service, EcoManaged at the 2011 HITEC tradeshow in Austin, TX. HITEC (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference) is an annual show that draws nearly 4,500 attendees from the hospitality industry. It is the first energy management solution in the hospitality industry to detect occu-pancy and comfort, utilizing a Wi-Fi network and carbon dioxide.

Ovation’s EcoManaged Energy Management System (www.ecomanaged.com) uses centralized intelligence with a Wi-Fi enabled, carbon dioxide occupancy and comfort sensing thermostat to control HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) in hotel rooms. The patent-pending technology is just one piece of the solution as the company provides ongoing service which helps hoteliers save with en-ergy rebates and tax deductions, as well as monitoring and tracking of the system to recognize and lev-erage energy-saving trends.

Ovation Networks President and CEO, Larry Selensky acknowledges the importance of Eco-Managed to the hospitality industry. “Our EcoManaged Energy Management System will have a significant impact not only on a property’s bottom line but on its carbon footprint as well,” said Selensky. “EcoManaged goes beyond just another gadget in a room to a fully integrated service that takes the bur-den of energy savings off of the manager’s shoulders—and at the same time, ensures guests are comfort-able.”

The company recently completed field testing at a hotel in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that resulted in EcoManaged generating energy savings between 40% and 48%. Tests have shown that ROI is less than 18 months for most properties.

EcoManaged's thermostat, ComfortStat, replaces the factory controls on each PTAC (packaged terminal air conditioner) unit in the hotel room. The guest interfaces with ComfortStat much like they would use a thermostat in their home. Completely wireless, using Wi-Fi network, the thermostat com-municates to a central server that stores and correlates data to make decisions on occupancy and cli-mate control.

The EcoManaged Energy Management System includes real-time and historical data to provide property owners with reports on which areas and rooms are most or least efficient. In addition, a Dedi-cated EcoManaged Energy Specialist takes care of finding energy rebates and programs to increase the customer’s savings. Interested parties are offered a free Energy Assessment by Ovation Networks. (www.ecomanaged.com/get-started).

About Ovation Networks

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Ovation Networks develops and supports wireless technology for the hotel industry, including software that manages Wi‐Fi access, 24x7 Guest Support, and now energy management hardware and service—EcoManaged. Its new EcoManaged service controls heating and cooling using Wi‐Fi, saving customers an average of 45% in energy costs. Ovation Networks provides its customers with extraordinary care through top performance from its products, its people, and its service. Visit www.ovationnetworks.com or www.ecomanaged.com.

Email: Andrew Visser [email protected] Follow us on: facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ovation‐Networks‐Inc/127034160704202) twitter http://twitter.com/#!/ONwifi

Visit ELFA.org

4293 US Route 4 East

Mendon, VT 05701– 6806

P: 802-786– 2260

F: 802–786- 5237

C: 802-345-6692

Ross Almo, CHA Executive Director E: [email protected]

ELFA ROA Regional Directors

Econo Lodge Franchisee Association Rodeway Inn Franchisee Association

ELFA Regional Directors

President: Mahendra Patel (732) 329-4555 Ext. 307


Treasurer and Region 8 Director: Amish Patel (618) 664-3030


Immediate Past President: Natu Patel (803) 328-2000




Region 4 Director: Kal Masters (757) 855-3116

Region 5 Director: Alka Patel (609) 927-3220





Region 10 Director: Aroon Patel (936) 295-6401


Region 12 Director: Vikas Patel (408) 984-3364

Region 13 Director: Hasu Patel (816) 464-5082

ROA Chair Members Chairman: Neil Bhakta (760) 746-0441 Vice Chairman: Amit Patel (386) 255-3617 Past Chairman: Kay Collier-Pittman (865) 453-2526 Northeast Region I: Dinu Patel (203) 481-4528 Southeast Region ll: Rajal Patel (407) 504-1079

Central Region lll: David Holl (308) 698-2810

West Region lV: Manoj Patel (626) 969-7957

The articles in this publication are independently written and are not necessarily the opinions of ELFA/ROA Board. Please verify information prior to any initiation. ELFA/ROA take no responsibility for misinformation, we do however apologize for any errors.

Visit ELFA.org and RodewayOwners.com

your selected program offering con-sistent products. If you need to make a change please contact ehelp or ORC. By now all approved ven-dors are offering the new Rodeway Inn soaps and shampoos. Remem-ber, you are allowed to use up your old stocks.

Your association leadership along with Choice Hotels is currently evaluating fall regional meeting op-tions for the year 2012. ROA has been busy and had a productive 2011. Future plans for 2012 include plans to address the following: wire-less internet standards, coop, impact issues, Choice Advantage, advertis-ing and marketing plus GIS rankings and thresholds.

If you have comments or sug-gestions for your association please feel free to contact myself, Ross Almo or your Regional ROA Director. We would love to receive input from the Rodeway Owners.

Neil (Nilesh) Bhakta [email protected]

I would like to wish all Rodeway and Econo Lodge fran-chisees a Happy New Year! I hope everyone experienced an improvement in your hotel’s ADR

and Occupancy in year 2011. During the last year, the lodging industry from economy segments to luxury levels reported a positive ADR, REVPAR and Occupancy in the U.S. Forecast report shows that this posi-tive trend will continue in 2012, how-ever at a moderate level.

Choice Hotels Int’s annual convention is at the Mandalay in Las Vegas on May 15th-17th. Again, this year we will be combining the Rode-way Owner’s Association meeting with the Rodeway Inn Choice Corpo-rate session. Please check ChoiceCentral for day and time. This will be a great opportunity to meet and network with your fellow Rode-

way owners, managers, and leader-ship from the Owners Association and Choice Hotels Int.

I would like to update you on a few ongoing important issues with the Rodeway Brand. Everyone should be aware that LRA is no longer conducting inspections for Rodeways. Your property is evalu-ated based on GIS scores. You have been receiving your property’s GIS report (Red, Green, Yellow) zone report. Please continue to monitor your scores and make adjustments at the property level as needed to keep your property in the GREEN zone. Remember if your property goes into the RED zone, you will be visited by LRA and you will be charged a fee for it!

All Rodeways were contacted by the Operational Resource Team concerning your Property’s breakfast preference. You have the options of: Continental, Full Hot or Coffee Only. These may be changed annually, but you are required to continue with

Letter from the ROA President

W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

S P E C I A L P O I N T S

O F I N T E R E S T :

• Econo Lodge “Easy Does It” Page 2

• Director Elections Page 4

• ChoiceHotels.com

Reaches Milestone Page 5

• Customer Care Page 6

• Choice on Facebook Page 7

• Selling to the Government Page 8

• Rodeway Quality Assurance Page 9

• Coop 2012 Page 10

• Directors Back Cover

Message to Franchisees Regarding Bruce HaaseEffective January 31, Bruce Haase has stepped down from his position at Choice Hotels Interna-tional. He will be providing interim support for several months to ensure that his responsibilities can be fully transitioned. During Bruce’s 12 years at Choice, he has provided incredible leadership and created unsurpassed growth for the company on a global scale. It’s a testament to Bruce that over the years he built many strong relationships with our franchisees and the owners’ councils. As many of you know firsthand, Bruce’s contributions to Choice are many. He has been a champion for franchisees and employees throughout Choice, and his presence and leadership will be greatly missed. Coincident with Bruce’s departure, we will be focusing the executive team around two key areas of Supply and Demand leadership—with Pat Pacious, EVP of Global Strategy, Distribution and Tech-nology, leading the Demand strategy and expanding his role to include leadership for Franchise Services, Performance Analytics and International Operations—and with Alexandra Jaritz, SVP of Brand Strategy and Marketing, reporting to President and CEO Steve Joyce and joining the execu-tive team on the Supply side of the equation in her role leading the Brands and Marketing organiza-tion. David Pepper in his role as SVP, Global Development and Mike Murphy, SVP, Cambria Suites and Ascend Collection, will both now report directly to Steve. We believe these organizational align-ments optimize Choice’s strategic positioning as a global distribution organization with a strong sta-ble of brands and franchise-rich resources. Choice wishes Bruce all the best as he embarks on the next chapter of his career, and we will long remember and benefit from the legacy that he leaves.






























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� New Choice


� Remember to


� Want to keep on































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� New Choice


� Remember to


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Documents

ELFA ROA Regional Directors - Rodeway Ownersrodewayowners.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Winter2012.pdf · ELFA ROA Regional Directors Econo Lodge Franchisee Association Rodeway Inn