Americas Best Value Inn Turns Nine

Innovative Programs and Global Resources Drive Members' Profits Up

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. October 14, 2008

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009. In August, Vantage Hospitality Group, Inc., the world's 12th largest hotel company, celebrated the ninth anniversary of its first hotel brand, Americas Best Value Inn, and the success of its Freestyle Brand Membership model.

Since its launch in 1999, Americas Best Value Inn has become the only major international hotel brand in the industry to offer an affordable alternative to franchising through its innovative Freestyle Brand Membership. This model gives owners a voice and a vote in the direction of the brand; provides low, flat fees and short-term contracts; and allows owners to be in business for themselves, not by themselves.

Such progressive philosophies have propelled Vantage to Inc. Magazine's 500/5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies three years in a row; recognition as the fastest-growing hotel chain from 2003 through 2006 and third-fastest in 2007; and grew the economy/limited service brand from two hotels to nearly 800 properties and more than 50,000 rooms worldwide by second quarter 2008.

"Many other hotel brands have tried to imitate our model, which is very flattering," says Roger Bloss, Vantage's Founder, President & CEO. "But simply offering lower fees isn't enough to make a brand successful. You have to make the best resources available to your owners, and our innovative programs and corporate team allow Vantage to stand out from our competition. Vantage's seven founding partners continue to run their respective divisions, nine years later, offering owners stable leadership in an era of chronic brand turnover."

Award-winning Programs

Developing innovative programs with member success in mind is not new to Vantage. "If our members aren't successful, Vantage isn't successful. Everything we do, we do for our members, and they reciprocate with their ideas, support, and dedication to the brand," says Bloss. Recent programs include:

o The 100% ROI Promise, which assures that more revenue is delivered than what owners pay in brand membership fees;

o One-year free brand membership fees on any new construction so owners can use that extra money to jump-start their businesses through increased advertising, grand openings, development of sales materials, and promotions;

o VISION, a group insurance program that reduces members' cost without reducing the level of coverage;

o SPIN, a live, interactive webcast hosted by Bloss held every Wednesday to give prospective owners the opportunity to discover the brand's benefits and differences;

o Regional training with Vantage Academy and AH&LA certification program

Worldwide Resources

Supporting members with worldwide resources is also part of the brand's success. A state-of-the-art global reservation system in Dallas and the International Operations Reservation Center in Shanghai, China, are just two of Vantage's 27 worldwide offices. Corporate support includes the highest ratio of corporate staff to members in the industry.

"From September 11 to the rollercoaster economy, our industry is always being challenged," says Bloss. "Brands need to be responsive to those challenges in order to survive. By staying true to our roots and listening to our members, Vantage is well positioned to continue its progression. We'll be around when other brands won't be."

Vantage expanded its brand offerings with the introduction of The Lexington Collection in 2007. The only membership hotel brand in the three- and four-diamond segments, the brand has grown steadily throughout the United States and China. Expansion for all Vantage brands continues in China, India, Mexico, Canada and Europe.