No, there isn't any oil in Texas...

[Matthew]

back to the hotel topic:

After living in 4 hotels in the last week, I've decided I look for the following in a hotel:

-clean
-non-smoking
-toilets that flush first-time, every time
-at least the same number of towel sets as guests
-shower curtains that curl in on the ends and keep water off the floor
-incandescent floodlights in the bathroom (can't wait the 2 minutes or so for flourescents to warm up.)
-key-cards that work and save me multiple trips to the lobby to get them reprogrammed.
-toilet paper
-tub faucets that don't drip all night
-sink faucets with hot and cold in the correct orientation
-bathroom doors (not fancy french-door things)
-electrical outlets on both sides of the bed
-doesn't have a business next door that schedules dumpster pick-ups at 3am.

That's just what I can think of right now.

 

[Bob Noel]

back to the hotel topic:

After living in 4 hotels in the last week, I've decided I look for the following in a hotel:

[snip]

That's just what I can think of right now.

how about doors that don't go BANG when they close...

 

[Everskyward]

-shower curtains that curl in on the ends and keep water off the floor

To go along with the shower theme, this is not a complaint of mine but one of my flying buddies is a bigger guy and he hates being attacked by shower curtains. I guess when the stall is small and the curtain is flimsy the flow of water sucks the curtain inward enough to touch the bather. Venturi effect, I guess.

 

[Jay Honeck]

To go along with the shower theme, this is not a complaint of mine but one of my flying buddies is a bigger guy and he hates being attacked by shower curtains. I guess when the stall is small and the curtain is flimsy the flow of water sucks the curtain inward enough to touch the bather. Venturi effect, I guess.

That's why we're planning to go to the "bowed" shower rods when we start remodeling all the rooms. I hate that "cold shower curtain against the skin" feel, too.

As for key cards that "work" -- there ain't no such thing. It's one of my pet peeves. That's why we have real key locks at both motels -- they're a pain (and down here we have to constantly lubricate them) but they WORK.

 

[jesse]

That's why we're planning to go to the "bowed" shower rods when we start remodeling all the rooms. I hate that "cold shower curtain against the skin" feel, too.

As for key cards that "work" -- there ain't no such thing. It's one of my pet peeves. That's why we have real key locks at both motels -- they're a pain (and down here we have to constantly lubricate them) but they WORK.

From a security perspective - real keyed locks are a serious turn-off for me. I'd much rather have key cards and I've never had a problem with them working (provided the attendant programmed it in the first place).

 

[gprellwitz]

From a security perspective - real keyed locks are a serious turn-off for me. I'd much rather have key cards and I've never had a problem with them working (provided the attendant programmed it in the first place).

I'm with Jesse on this one.

 

[Matthew]

That's why we're planning to go to the "bowed" shower rods when we start remodeling all the rooms. I hate that "cold shower curtain against the skin" feel, too.

The problem shower curtain hotel did have the 'bowed' rod, but it was not level - it was bent down so the weight of the curtain and air/water pressure would slowly pull both ends towards the center.


Oh yeah, to add to the list: Shower heads that are high enough for me to stand under, but low enough for my wife to reach. We had one that I could barely reach, it was way up there. Another hit me in the middle of the chest.

I guess I'd prefer the keycards over real keys - but there has to be a way to test them before you hand them to the guests. I was on the 3rd floor, checking in. Neither card worked. Back to the desk for another set. Lather, rinse, repeat. 3rd try we got in, then found out I had to make one more trip to the desk because there were 4 of us and only 3 towels. Too much work for me.

 

[RyanShort1]

Well, as a Texan, I'll say there's plenty of things to be embarrassed about that have come out of our state, including a number of things, but overall, there's a lot to be grateful for. It's probably isn't the best place for anything in particular. I've seen both coasts, a lot of beautiful scenery elsewhere, met a lot of good people (even in Yankee-land - Gasp!), but overall, Texas is HOME and there's no place like it.

Ryan

 

[Jay Honeck]

I'm with Jesse on this one.

We've designed our motels to address our pet-traveling-peeves, and key-cards are right at the top of our "Peeve List", right behind cutting off the continental breakfast at 9 AM.

I've never -- not once -- stayed in a motel for a multiple-day stay when the key-card hasn't failed to work. It usually seems to be a training issue, but occasionally it's just a dead unit. Either way, it resulted in a p***ed-off guest -- me.

Additionally, from my years in newspapers, I have a bad taste in my mouth with electronic locks in general. I was a HUGE early proponent of switching to electronic mechanisms in our vending machines, because I was a techno-geek that wanted to take advantage of the data-mining capabilities of the new computerized units.

My advocacy cost the newspaper $50K, and the damned things failed at an alarming rate. Everything from cold to heat to dirt to salt caused them to simply not work, and we lost thousands of sales. They've since improved those units, but sometimes mechanical things just work better than electronics.

Quite frankly, given that all of our doors are outside doors, I don't think an electronic lock would last a month here. Even the brass on our mechanical locks corrodes almost instantly, thanks to the salt breeze on the island.

 

[jesse]

I've never -- not once -- stayed in a motel for a multiple-day stay when the key-card hasn't failed to work. It usually seems to be a training issue, but occasionally it's just a dead unit. Either way, it resulted in a p***ed-off guest -- me.

I have many times. It's very rare I've seen them not work and I'm completely ok with a problem every now and then if it means the codes are changing.

Personally - I wouldn't want the liability of knowing that I'm using keys which are easily copied and never changed as the basic layer of protection for my guests.

 

[wabower]

Don't take it personally, but nobody in Texas gives a ratsass about what Yankees think--about anything. Not only that, TX is one of the fastest growing states in the union, so we must be doing something right. The only way it could be better would be if some of them could speak English . . .

I guess I've met a few too many boastful Texans. The secession thing didn't help either.

 

[Everskyward]

I have stayed in quite a few hotels and while I occasionally have had a problem with the electronic key it's not common enough to be that much of an annoyance.

 

[Everskyward]

Don't take it personally, but nobody in Texas gives a ratsass about what Yankees think--about anything.

Oh OK, strike my comment below yours.

 

[Steve]

Warm air rises, requiring the cooler outside air to displace inward....

To go along with the shower theme, this is not a complaint of mine but one of my flying buddies is a bigger guy and he hates being attacked by shower curtains. I guess when the stall is small and the curtain is flimsy the flow of water sucks the curtain inward enough to touch the bather. Venturi effect, I guess.

 

[Steve]

1 free Southern Pecan beer for Mr. Bower.

Collect at Gaston's.

Don't take it personally, but nobody in Texas gives a ratsass about what Yankees think--about anything. Not only that, TX is one of the fastest growing states in the union, so we must be doing something right. The only way it could be better would be if some of them could speak English . . .

 

[ScottM]

I have many times. It's very rare I've seen them not work and I'm completely ok with a problem every now and then if it means the codes are changing.

I stay in hotel a lot too and like Jesse I rarely see a failure. Occasionally I get an eKey that will not have been programmed correctly not work. That is why I ask for two keys at check in. But a full failure of the programming, maybe once a year.

Hotel rooms are already unsecure enough, I would hate to worry about having a 'real key' issue.

 

[Bob Noel]

That's why we're planning to go to the "bowed" shower rods when we start remodeling all the rooms. I hate that "cold shower curtain against the skin" feel, too.

I trust you know a source for good quality bowed shower rods.
The imported junk at home cheapo or blowes will rust/corrode
within a few months.

 

[Trapper John]

I stay in hotel a lot too and like Jesse I rarely see a failure. Occasionally I get an eKey that will not have been programmed correctly not work. That is why I ask for two keys at check in. But a full failure of the programming, maybe once a year.

Hotel rooms are already unsecure enough, I would hate to worry about having a 'real key' issue.

Agree. Unless the key is from a company that really secures access to the blanks, like Medeco, a physical key is a real security risk, and even then, they are inferior to an electronic card system. And if you have a dishonest employee, it's a piece of cake to get a copy of a master or submaster key that would open all of the rooms.

 

[dmccormack]

We've designed our motels to address our pet-traveling-peeves, and key-cards are right at the top of our "Peeve List", right behind cutting off the continental breakfast at 9 AM.

I've never -- not once -- stayed in a motel for a multiple-day stay when [snipped]

Quite frankly, given that all of our doors are outside doors, I don't think an electronic lock would last a month here. Even the brass on our mechanical locks corrodes almost instantly, thanks to the salt breeze on the island.

A "destination" or resort hotel. a metal key is fine -- call it part of the "experience."

A business hotel -- give me the swipe card. I want to leave without some lengthy check-out process and not be sitting on Concourse B37 when I remember I forget to leave the key.

That said -- I've had a few bad code experiences. Worst was at a HIE in Hauppague, NY (our company had a deal and it was a fine business hotel). I arrived about 1 AM, went to floor 6 (whatever), schlepped down the hall -- grrrr -- red lights.

Back down, back up.

Same. GRRR....

"Oh -- sorry -- here you go!" Two new cards.

Back up -- you guessed it.

I called the front desk on my cell and said, "You get up here and try it this time."

He did -- key worked. I'm guessing he was extra careful with that set.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

We've designed our motels to address our pet-traveling-peeves, and key-cards are right at the top of our "Peeve List", right behind cutting off the continental breakfast at 9 AM..

Thanks

I've never -- not once -- stayed in a motel for a multiple-day stay when the key-card hasn't failed to work. It usually seems to be a training issue, but occasionally it's just a dead unit. Either way, it resulted in a p***ed-off guest -- me.

Quite frankly, given that all of our doors are outside doors, I don't think an electronic lock would last a month here. Even the brass on our mechanical locks corrodes almost instantly, thanks to the salt breeze on the island.

Your experience has been different than mine WRT electronic locks. The few times I have had problems have been during check-in, usually after a day full of delays and not knowing if I was going to arrive in time for the meeting and trade show. I usually get to schlep my stuff back downstairs to get the key re-programmed. The keys fail at the worst time.

I usually don't expect security in hotels. I've seen staff open several rooms at once to make them up (one staff member) and anyone could pop into the open rooms.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Agree. Unless the key is from a company that really secures access to the blanks, like Medeco, a physical key is a real security risk, and even then, they are inferior to an electronic card system. And if you have a dishonest employee, it's a piece of cake to get a copy of a master or submaster key that would open all of the rooms.

I've got news for y'all: If a hotel has a dishonest employee, your key card means precisely ZERO for "security".

That's why hiring in a hotel is such an enormous challenge, and why we are so incredibly careful about who we hire, and how we train them. We have to find that rare combination of reliability, honesty, industry, and willingness to work hard for just slightly above minimum wage.

In reality, this means people who are on their way up in life (college students, etc.) or who are on their way down. It is this latter group that one must be the most cautious with, of course.

It's a real Catch-22 situation. Everyone wants a great hotel room, with all the amenities, but few are willing to pay one nickel more than the "going rate". This puts enormous downward pressure on wages, costs, etc., which, in turn...blah blah blah. You know the rest. It's Econ 101.

Luckily, this is also why we can kick ass on the chains. They have to send 30% of gross back to a home office; we don't.

 

[Jay Honeck]

I usually don't expect security in hotels. I've seen staff open several rooms at once to make them up (one staff member) and anyone could pop into the open rooms.

What's so odd is that this works in reverse, too. I can't tell you how many times I've seen our doors left wide open after a guest leaves!

On occasion, I've caught the guest and asked why they were leaving the door open -- and they thought they were doing us a favor by leaving the room open! When I told them that THEY were liable for anything stolen from the room between the time they leave (and we've got their credit card number) and the time our housekeepers arrive, their eyes got big as saucers.

They had just never stopped to consider that! Considering the thousands of dollars in artwork and memorabilia in our hotel rooms in Iowa City, their cavalier actions could have dire consequences, indeed. (Luckily, nothing has ever been stolen.)

Which is why, incidentally, most of the chain motels have those incredibly annoying, super-heavy-duty, God-awful door closers on their room doors. ANOTHER pet peeve of mine. How many times have YOU tried to get through the door with two suitcases and a laptop, whilst the friggin' door was slamming on you?

One thing you'll notice, after you study the hospitality industry for a bit, is that EVERYTHING at the chain motels is designed for THEIR convenience, not yours. Key cards. Door closers. Itty-bitty 1 or 2-cup coffee makers. Flow restrictors in the shower heads. Frozen, reconstituted crap for breakfast. Breakfast in the lobby. Low-flow toilets. Over-booking. "Guaranteed" reservations that mean NOTHING. The list goes on and on, and is why almost EVERY hotel in America sucks.

 

[Jay Honeck]

A business hotel -- give me the swipe card. I want to leave without some lengthy check-out process and not be sitting on Concourse B37 when I remember I forget to leave the key.

The forgotten key thing CAN be a problem -- more for me, than for the guest. I'm really, REALLY good at changing locks!

The quick checkout, however, is no problem at all.

This was yet another hotel pet peeve of ours -- standing in line to check out. Chains usually require this rigamarole because they LOVE to charge you extra for the little stuff. Internet? ka-CHING. Phone call? ka-CHING. Parking? ka-CHING. By doing this, they can SAY their rooms are "$99.95 per night" -- when, in fact, by the time you use all the stuff that everyone uses, the price jumps to $139.95 or higher.

It's a rip-off.

To get around this, from Day One we have done all of our charges at check IN. When we swipe your card as you get your keys, you're paying for the room -- and nothing more will be added to it for the duration of your stay. By doing it this way, check OUT consists of leaving the key in the room (or, down here, in a locked "after hours drop box") and driving/flying away. (Although most people like to say goodbye!)

 

[Matthew]

I've almost always stayed at the chains, even though some are privately owned franchises - but I did have one experience at a private motel that I've never forgotten:

Many, many years ago I got stopped by car trouble in Nitro, WV. Late at night or early morning. Rolled to a stop in front of a roadside motel, pressed the door buzzer on the office, and the manager/owner came out. He was rubbing his eyes and finishing with buttoning his shirt since I had woken him up. I explained the situation, got a room and went to bed. Next morning I woke up and heard some voices outside my room. Looked out the window, and the manager/owner and a buddy of his were fixing my car - on a Sunday morning. The buddy had some spare parts (I had a broken alternator pulley), got it working, and didn't want any payment.

I don't think HIE would have been that helpful.

 

[Jay Honeck]

I trust you know a source for good quality bowed shower rods.
The imported junk at home cheapo or blowes will rust/corrode
within a few months.

Yeah, there's an industry supplier called "American Hotel Register". They have an ENORMOUS catalog, from which you can buy every, single item you've ever seen in any hotel, anywhere.

We don't use it for furniture (we try to match the era of aviation history we're in), but most places do. It's funny when we walk into a motel room or lobby and it's like turning to page 803 in the catalog... :smile:

 

[Matthew]

The quick checkout, however, is no problem at all.

This was yet another hotel pet peeve of ours -- standing in line to check out. Chains usually require this rigamarole because they LOVE to charge you extra for the little stuff. Internet? ka-CHING. Phone call? ka-CHING. Parking? ka-CHING. By doing this, they can SAY their rooms are "$99.95 per night" -- when, in fact, by the time you use all the stuff that everyone uses, the price jumps to $139.95 or higher.

It's a rip-off.

I got scammed (almost) for a charge for the room safe - can't remember the hotel right now. If I had done the quick check-out, there would have been a service charge on my bill for "Room-safe usage" even thought I didn't use it. In the fine print, the bill said "Room safe charge will be removed upon request". That was about as blatant a rip-off as I've ever seen. It was $2, but at $2/room/night that will add up to a nice sum after a while.

 

[Everskyward]

A business hotel -- give me the swipe card. I want to leave without some lengthy check-out process and not be sitting on Concourse B37 when I remember I forget to leave the key.

I've had to mail back the keys to the courtesy car on a couple different occasions...

And I often leave with the swipe key to the hotel room. Also it seems that my flying buddies are always leaving their key in their room and having to go to the front desk for another one. Not that I haven't done that too...

 

[Jay Honeck]

I got scammed (almost) for a charge for the room safe - can't remember the hotel right now. If I had done the quick check-out, there would have been a service charge on my bill for "Room-safe usage" even thought I didn't use it. In the fine print, the bill said "Room safe charge will be removed upon request". That was about as blatant a rip-off as I've ever seen. It was $2, but at $2/room/night that will add up to a nice sum after a while.

My favorite is "resort fee". WTF is THAT?

Just remember -- at the chain lodging establishments, everything they do is designed to separate you from your money. Nothing they do is for you, and they couldn't care less if you lived or died -- just so long as you sign your credit card receipt before you keel over...

 

[Cap'n Jack]

The forgotten key thing CAN be a problem -- more for me, than for the guest. I'm really, REALLY good at changing locks!

The quick checkout, however, is no problem at all.

This was yet another hotel pet peeve of ours -- standing in line to check out. Chains usually require this rigamarole because they LOVE to charge you extra for the little stuff. Internet? ka-CHING. Phone call? ka-CHING. Parking? ka-CHING. By doing this, they can SAY their rooms are "$99.95 per night" -- when, in fact, by the time you use all the stuff that everyone uses, the price jumps to $139.95 or higher.

It's a rip-off.

To get around this, from Day One we have done all of our charges at check IN. When we swipe your card as you get your keys, you're paying for the room -- and nothing more will be added to it for the duration of your stay. By doing it this way, check OUT consists of leaving the key in the room (or, down here, in a locked "after hours drop box") and driving/flying away. (Although most people like to say goodbye!)

I hear you, but some of these charges depend on the chain and hotel, and location. Parking charges tend to occur in the larger cities like Chicago, Boston, and New York City. I tend to gripe about "luxery" hotels that are expensive then you get charged stuff that Holiday Inn Express may provide- breakfast, internet? They'll nail you $5 for a glass of juice at breakfast. If I'm paying a lot of money, treat me like I'm paying a lot of money.

My favorite is "resort fee". WTF is THAT?

Just remember -- at the chain lodging establishments, everything they do is designed to separate you from your money. Nothing they do is for you, and they couldn't care less if you lived or died -- just so long as you sign your credit card receipt before you keel over...

That resort fee is a mystery to me as well...and some chains are better than others, at least for business travel.

 

[Jay Honeck]

I tend to gripe about "luxery" hotels that are expensive then you get charged stuff that Holiday Inn Express may provide- breakfast, internet? They'll nail you $5 for a glass of juice at breakfast. If I'm paying a lot of money, treat me like I'm paying a lot of money.

Isn't that weird? Sometimes service seems to be almost inversely proportional to what you pay.

I've stayed in $300/night, all-suite luxury hotels that charged $6 for the same cup of coffee that is FREE at a Super 8. I find that incredibly insulting, and -- what's really funny -- is if you complain, they try to make YOU feel like the culprit, in that snotty, obnoxious way that only high-end hotel clerks can get away with. (In any other business, that attitude would get your fired; in so-called "luxury" hotels, it seems to be the norm...)

I can't for the life of me figure out why people continue to stay in places like that. It just proves that dollars and sense don't always go together.

 

[gprellwitz]

I got scammed (almost) for a charge for the room safe - can't remember the hotel right now. If I had done the quick check-out, there would have been a service charge on my bill for "Room-safe usage" even thought I didn't use it. In the fine print, the bill said "Room safe charge will be removed upon request". That was about as blatant a rip-off as I've ever seen. It was $2, but at $2/room/night that will add up to a nice sum after a while.

Yeah, that's a ridiculous fee. Another one is the $0.50 per day that many hotels embed in the room rate for that piece of carp paper USA Today! Especially given that paper's attitude to GA, I always make a point to tell them to remove that charge.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Yeah, that's a ridiculous fee. Another one is the $0.50 per day that many hotels embed in the room rate for that piece of carp paper USA Today! Especially given that paper's attitude to GA, I always make a point to tell them to remove that charge.

We ALWAYS include the local daily newspaper in our delivered breakfast basket. I like the USA Today just fine, but when I travel I want to know what's going on where I am -- not all over the country.

Sadly, Port A doesn't have a local daily paper (the local paper is weekly), so we include the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. This is a fine paper, but (unbeknownst to me) there is something of a grudge between Corpus and Port A. When we had the Chamber of Commerce out here last week for our grand opening ribbon-cutting, the Corpus papers on the counter caused a stir.

Port A folks are apparently p***ed at Corpus for annexing a big chunk of Mustang Island a few years ago. They also think the Corpus newspaper deliberately doesn't cover Mustang Island in general, and Port A in particular.

Funny, the local politics that you can't see until you live somewhere. I would never have picked up on this, were it not for my new desk staff lady who clued me into the situation.

 

[Trapper John]

I've got news for y'all: If a hotel has a dishonest employee, your key card means precisely ZERO for "security".

Electronic cards have audit ability. Far superior to a conventional key. Speaking of keys, you did have your place completely re-keyed when you bought it, didn't you?

Luckily, this is also why we can kick ass on the chains. They have to send 30% of gross back to a home office; we don't.

As indicated in the preceding table, franchise fees as a percentage of total rooms revenue ranged from 2.4% to 11.4% in the mid-rate category in 2006. The average franchise fee as a percentage of total rooms revenue was 9.3%, and the median was 9.8%.

www.hvs.com/article/2961/2007-franchise-fee-analysis-guide/

But if you insist it's 30%, we'd expect to see your rates 30% lower than the chains, wouldn't we?

 

[Cap'n Jack]

We ALWAYS include the local daily newspaper in our delivered breakfast basket. I like the USA Today just fine, but when I travel I want to know what's going on where I am -- not all over the country.

<SNIP>

I like the local paper too. I don't like USA Today due the disinformation on GA and the Pharma industry; I imagine they publish disinformation on areas I know less about.

 

[dmccormack]

This was yet another hotel pet peeve of ours -- standing in line to check out. Chains usually require this rigamarole because they LOVE to charge you extra for the little stuff. Internet? ka-CHING. Phone call? ka-CHING. Parking? ka-CHING. By doing this, they can SAY their rooms are "$99.95 per night" -- when, in fact, by the time you use all the stuff that everyone uses, the price jumps to $139.95 or higher.

It's a rip-off.

To get around this, from Day One we have done all of our charges at check IN. When we swipe your card as you get your keys, you're paying for the room -- and nothing more will be added to it for the duration of your stay. By doing it this way, check OUT consists of leaving the key in the room (or, down here, in a locked "after hours drop box") and driving/flying away. (Although most people like to say goodbye!)

I gotta say -- I've left about 500 Hampton Inns over the last 10 years without ever formally "checking out" and never had any surprise fees.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I gotta say -- I've left about 500 Hampton Inns over the last 10 years without ever formally "checking out" and never had any surprise fees.

+1; second choice is usually Holiday Inn Express. If a sales rep gets rooms for us, it's usually a Hampton Inn since they tend to use them themselves.

 

[dmccormack]

+1; second choice is usually Holiday Inn Express. If a sales rep gets rooms for us, it's usually a Hampton Inn since they tend to use them themselves.

HIE is my second choice, Fairfield third. Marriot and Hilton Garden when available.

Hampton Inns are the most consistent value, in my opinion. Of course all I want is quiet, clean, and wireless. Don't need many more amenities when travelling on busniess.

Vacation? Give me a tent.

 

[wsuffa]

Jay,

I appreciate your interest in eliminating pet peeves. I can see how the key card systems can be problematic with outside doors at the beach.

Having said that, I agree with Scott...

I stay in hotel a lot too and like Jesse I rarely see a failure. Occasionally I get an eKey that will not have been programmed correctly not work. That is why I ask for two keys at check in. But a full failure of the programming, maybe once a year.

Hotel rooms are already unsecure enough, I would hate to worry about having a 'real key' issue.

Always get two keys at check-in. The only place I regularly have an issue with the key cards is the Renaissance LAX. The key cards work fine in the room door, executive lounge, and exercise room. But they often fail at the garage entrance. Probably once in every 3 trips or so. Can't tell whether that's outside exposure or the amount of use they get from cars constantly going in and out.

Shower curtains are easy: install the bowed rods, and install them properly. I used to hate hotel showers - the bowed rods are wonderful (glass doors are better, but c'est la vie).

Matthew: I'd add to your fine list the following: doors that don't slam loudly, and stopping insanely loud guests from running through the halls or slamming doors. Places that accept partying kids or large, loud families are the worst.

 

[jesse]

I've got news for y'all: If a hotel has a dishonest employee, your key card means precisely ZERO for "security".

It's about seperation Jay - it's a hell of a lot easier to disable an employee's key card then it is to ensure they never stole a master key or key to the rooms. In order to provide the same level of security you'd need to change all your locks after every guest and after every employee seperation.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Electronic cards have audit ability. Far superior to a conventional key. Speaking of keys, you did have your place completely re-keyed when you bought it, didn't you?

As indicated in the preceding table, franchise fees as a percentage of total rooms revenue ranged from 2.4% to 11.4% in the mid-rate category in 2006. The average franchise fee as a percentage of total rooms revenue was 9.3%, and the median was 9.8%.

www.hvs.com/article/2961/2007-franchise-fee-analysis-guide/

But if you insist it's 30%, we'd expect to see your rates 30% lower than the chains, wouldn't we?

Yep, and they are.

Example: Holiday Inn Express rooms -- one of the few chains on the island -- were renting this weekend for $189.95/night, with a 3-night minimum, while ours were renting for $139.95/night, with a 2-night minimum. Of course, we're new to the island, with a motel property that has no, or, at best, a mediocre reputation, so we'll eventually close that gap a bit.

More important than price, however, is that you won't find a chain that offers the amenities we provide, for ANY price.

Your report is very nice, but my numbers are real, and represent the research I did in 2002 when we considered franchising our hotel in Iowa. Published franchise fees are just the very tip of the expense iceberg when it comes to the cost of becoming (and maintaining) a franchise; the total annual cost to the property -- in addition to the intangible cost of losing control of your own business -- is in the 30% of gross range.

Joining a chain is a great way to make more money, but that's not what we're about.