As the hospitality industry's new and innovative hotel chain, AdVantis strives to stay on the cutting edge and forefront of what's happening in the hotel and lodging marketplace. So, here's what we've been doing.
Press Releases
AdVantis, parent company of Vista and Select Inns, opens a Vista Inn in Bloomington, Indiana, as part of a master receivership agreement AMREX Properties.
MURFREESBORO, TENN. - SEPTEMBER 22,2009- AdVantis Hospitality Alliance, LLC, parent of VISTA® Hospitality Solutions and Select Hospitality Solutions, (www.advantishotels.com) headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee has developed a Receivership and Financial Institution Interim Franchising arrangement and signed the first master agreement with AMREX Properties of Greensboro, North Carolina. AMREX operates as a court appointed receiver with a specialty in SBA financed hotels.
Under the master arrangement, AMREX has opened the first Vista branded hotel in Bloomington, Indiana as "VISTA University Inn". The 97 room hotel is located on Walnut Street, less than two (2) miles from Indiana University and Memorial Stadium. Nick Hice, President of AMREX said: "We signed with AdVantis because of their speedy reaction to our needs, their flexibility and most of all their ability to perform. We are confident that the interim franchise arrangements we are signing will turn into permanent agreements with the new owners of these properties".
AdVantis President Ramesh Gokal confirmed the arrangement. "Consideration of current economic conditions, and our ability to rapidly adjust to the ever changing environment we live in, guided us to this new initiative. We expect a healthy response from hotel receivers and financial institutions" he said.
Kelly Harvel, Executive Vice President of operations for AdVantis added: "This is a great way for us to serve the needs of REO hotel properties and at the same time establish our credentials and performance for these hotels. Because of the continued success with our innovative electronic marketing approach and consistently increasing reservations delivery, even in these trying economic times, we are very comfortable in taking over properties that need to be turned around."
VISTA continues its steady growth path with property openings in Oak Ridge and Memphis Tennessee in the past month. A 200 room property in Gurnee, Illinois was also added in this quarter.
AdVantis offers the most progressive and customer friendly mid-tier and economy tier franchise programs in the lodging industry with the Vista Inn, Vista Inn & Suites and Select Inn franchises. The franchise programs include flat fee and flexible alternative arrangements, no liquidated damages - ever -, comprehensive support and training, and the first ever and only money back performance guarantee in the industry. For more information on Vista visit www.vistarez.com. For more information on Select Inn visit www.selectinn.com.
AdVantis Grows through Strategic Acquisition
VISTA® agrees to acquire Select Inns of Fargo, North Dakota.
MURFREESBORO, TENN. - NOVEMBER 17, 2008 - VISTA® Hospitality Solutions (http://corporate.vistarez.com) head quartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Select Inn brand from privately owned Select Franchising, Inc. of Fargo, North Dakota. Subject to completion of due diligence, the deal is expected to close by the end of the year.
"Select Inns are squarely positioned in the economy segment of the lodging industry and will be an excellent strategic addition for us. Our VISTA® Inns and VISTA® Inns & Suites offer a mid-tier positioning. Now we will be able to offer an additional brand with an economy tier market positioning. Also with Select Inns' dominant regional concentration, this will expand our horizon for growth" said VISTA® President Ramesh Gokal. "Our Board has embraced and approved an aggressive growth strategy through acquisitions in addition to our continued organic growth. We remain financially postured to seek other similar companies that can complement our culture, operating philosophy and strategic growth."
"Selling Select Inns allows us to concentrate on our core business of hotel management and we think the Select Inn franchisees will be better served by an aggressively growing company like VISTA®" said Select Franchising, Inc. President, Marie Casper. Ms. Casper is also the President of Discover Lodging Management which manages 11 hotels including a Select Inn.
"We are excited about Select and look forward to merging the culture of our two brands. The Select franchisees should see rapid results in revenue growth through our focused web marketing and we expect that there will be revenue benefits for both brands through cross selling opportunities" said Kelly Harvel, Executive Vice President of Operations for VISTA® Hospitality Solutions. "We have met with the Select Inn franchisees and are comfortable that we can build on the relationships that the current owners have established with them over many years" he added.
For more information on VISTA® Hospitality Solutions and the VISTA® Inns or VISTA® Inn & Suites brand, visit www.vistarez.com
About VISTA® Hospitality Solutions
VISTA® Hospitality Solutions offers a unique branding proposition to mid-tier hoteliers throughout the United States, with a focus in the southern regions of the country. For franchise opportunities please call 615-904-6133 ext 105 or via email info@vistarez.com. You can also visit our websites www.vistarez.com and http://corporate.vistarez.com.
VISTA® Recognizes Award Winning Hotels
Nashville, Tennessee- During the VISTA® annual conference located here, the brand recognized its award winning hotels for 2007. For exhibiting exceptional customer service, receiving a guest comment score of 3.17, the VISTA® Inn & Suites Murfreesboro, Tennessee received the 2007 CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD. The hotel is owned by Shiva Associates II and is managed by Mark Tucker. Hari Ughra accepted the award on behalf of the hotel.
For their unique marketing strategies including the "Grab - n - Go" breakfast, Railroad Hall of Fame donations, advertising in various tourist driven publications along with participating with five different civic organizations, the VISTA® Lodge in Galesburg, Illinois, received the 2007 Sales & Marketing award. The hotel is owned and managed by Raj & Pina Kshirsagar. Raj Kshirsagar accepted the award on behalf of the hotel.
For their exceptional quality of product, customer service (guest comment score of 4.33),and sales practices, The VISTA® Inn & Suites Bryant, Arkansas was awarded the 2007 VISTA® Hotel of the Year. The Hotel is owned and operated by Nick & Sue Patel. Nick & Sue Patel accepted the award on behalf of the hotel.
"It is with great pleasure and admiration that we present these awards to these hotels. These people and their teams have taken the time and opportunity to really focus on the most important aspects of our business. We are very proud of the owners, operators and the staff of each of these hotels. They bring the true spirit of VISTA® to their guests and communities" Said Kelly Harvel, Executive Vice-President. "They are role models to be followed by all hotels."
For more information on VISTA® Hospitality Solutions and the VISTA® Inns or VISTA® Inn & Suites brand, visit www.vistarez.com.
About Vista Hospitality Solutions
VISTA® Hospitality Solutions offers a unique branding proposition to mid-tier hoteliers throughout the United States, with an initial focus in the southern regions of the country. For franchise opportunities please call 615-904-6133 ext 105 or via email info@vistarez.com. You can also visit or websites www.vistarez.com and http://corporate.vistarez.com.
VISTA® Brand performance - living up to THE promise of THE guarantee
Nashville, Tennessee- At the VISTA® annual conference located here, Kelly Harvel, Executive Vice-President, reported on reservation performance for the brand. Year to date, reservations delivery performance has more than doubled over 2007. The average booking rate across the brand is up $6.73 to $59.49 and 22% of all business generated to Vista hotels came via the brand's website, www.vistarez.com . The average booking rate driven through the company website is $66.66, year to date.
The toll free reservation number (866-21-VISTA) is generating 8% of over all reservations at a $63.15 rate. Combined, both avenues represent 30% of reservations and 31% of reservation revenue to VISTA hotels. "These great numbers we are experiencing are a result of a daily determined focus by our Central Reservations Agents and our E-Marketing team using the latest technology and systems available. Without either of these pieces to the puzzle our success would be dramatically different. Publicly, we have guaranteed our reservation performance to our hotels and I am proud to report that we are exceeding our promise. This is just the beginning of greater things to come for us. Because of our ability to quickly adapt to changes in technology and the market, we are able to generate revenues to our hotels in contemporary and non-traditional ways. Our Apex Hour Glass Marketing combined with our Operation Support Director program, continues to be a winning formula for our hotels and our mid-tier brand."
For more information on VISTA® Hospitality Solutions and the VISTA® Inn or VISTA® Inn & Suites brand, visit www.vistarez.com.
About Vista Hospitality Solutions
VISTA® Hospitality Solutions offers a unique branding proposition to mid-tier hoteliers throughout the United States, with a special focus in the southern regions of the country. For franchise opportunities please call 615-904-6133 ext 105 or via email info@vistarez.com. You can also visit our websites www.vistarez.com and http://corporate.vistarez.com.
VISTA® Lives up to Unique Programs and Services
Nashville, Tennessee - At the VISTA® annual conference located here, VISTA® rolled out its unique Asset Management Guide to its customers (franchisees). "This guide helps hotel owners become and maintain good business citizenship within their communities." Says Kelly Harvel, Executive Vice-President. "This tool helps hotel owners with over-all management of their asset not just property management. One of the things we forget as operators is that the buying public purchases products and services from the outside in. If the environment surrounding your location is not desirable it has a negative impact on a hotels ability to develop and sustain business".
In addition to the Asset Guide, VISTA® also released its Hotel Renovation Guide to the conference. "For years in our industry franchisors have told hotels to renovate their properties and in some cases even told hotel owners how much of a capital investment they should expect to spend. This has been done without direction and assistance in getting the project completed. Our tool assists and helps direct a hotel owner in the renovation process from beginning visual concept to priority budgeting" says Ramesh Gokal, President. "Our approach is not to tell a hotel owner what he should or should not do but instead rely upon the fact that he owns a multi-million dollar asset and he wants to compete in the marketplace. This guide helps in the overall process with first identifying what the hotel should look like by the end of the project. Having a vision of what the renovation should look like when completed makes the entire project more efficient and cost effective."
Both manuals were given out to hoteliers at the conference as well as made available on the brands dynamic website, www.vistarez.com .
VISTA Hospitality Gets to Know Its Customers at Annual Conference
Annual event convenes in Nashville to build on momentum for continued brand growth, camaraderie and focus on creating new heightened industry standards for fair franchising
NASHVILLE, TENN. - JULY 2, 2008- VISTA® Hospitality Solutions (http://corporate.vistarez.com), head quartered in Murfreesboro, Tenn., recently held its 2008 National Conference at the Radisson Hotel at Opryland located here. More than 100 attendees came together with one common goal: "Know Your Customer."
"As a brand, VISTA® believes that the industry spends far too much time studying the competition rather than studying the customer," said VISTA® President Ramesh Gokal. "Therefore, the focus for our second annual event is to ‘Know Your Customer.' The best way to achieve that goal is to talk openly with our guests and all the people that interact with our guests - these are the people who stay in our hotels; work in our hotels; manage, own and operate our hotels; book rooms in our hotels; market our hotels online; and represent our industry on a national association level."
Using an informal TV talk show format, Gokal, together with VISTA® Executive Vice President Kelly Harvel, played hosts to a variety of guests and conversed with them regarding their expectations and experiences in hospitality.
First they welcomed two frequent travelers from Nashville to discuss, among other issues, the impact of rising fuel prices on current and future travel plans. Jim Oliver, President of Old Hickory, Tenn.-based AIMedia (www.aimediasolutions.com), said: "I travel 30 to 35 weeks out of the year, and although the market is volatile, due to the nature of my business and the need to meet with our customers, travel is inevitable." AIMedia Solutions specializes in the sales of media manufacturing and project management services related to products such as audiocassettes, CDs, DVDs, videocassettes and the associated print/packaging materials that are used to make finished products.
John Vaughn with Nashville-based Girtman Group said: "The hotels that my company chooses for us to stay at have to be near the location we are working. Travel for me is an essential aspect of the service we provide our customers." Having been in business 20 years, Girtman Group services accounts within the commercial door and lock industry nationwide (www.girtman.com).
Discussions with the panel of travelers revealed the following:
- Although the market is volatile, travel is still inevitable.
- Travel will be consolidated by region and elective trips will be curtailed. Location and convenience will remain key when selecting a hotel.
- A comfortable bed, Internet connectivity (wired or wireless), access to business services, and a knowledgeable, friendly staff top the list of expected services.
- Lack of quality towels still an irritant at many mid-priced hotels.
A conversation with hotel employees Candi White and Matt Brown revealed the following:
Most common guest requests include:
- Internet access
- fitness facility
- guest laundry
- business services and airline boarding-pass printing capability
- Biggest guest complaint: Unclean rooms / bathrooms
- Biggest irritant - guests smoking in non-smoking rooms
"It was empowering for our owners, managers and operators to hear travelers say that they expect hotel staff to be courteous, empathetic, responsive, and reactive to requests," Harvel said. "Having heard from the source, many of our customers said they will certainly continue to stress the importance of these criteria to their staff as soon as they return."
Nick and Sue Patel, Snay Patel, and Mark Tucker took the stage to represent hoteliers and operators. Ray Ashman, Vista's Operations Support Director (OSD), also joined the group. The hoteliers identified the top challenges they face today as:
- Maintaining customer satisfaction, room cleanliness, brand consistency, and rate parity
- Managing customer expectations, which continue to rise as consumers get smarter
- Retaining employees
- Keeping everyone aware that a negative guest experience can result in negative online reviews
Ashman explained that his sole function was to help the Vista hoteliers succeed and recommitted Vista's promise to visit each property every sixty days.
"One bad customer experience reported on an online review site can result in hundreds of lost room nights and revenue," Gokal said to attendees. "VISTA® corporate checks and tracks all property ratings on these travel review sites daily. We do this because we are plugged into today's reality. We use technology and resources in ways that other brands may not be set up to handle yet, and as such we can do things more efficiently and quickly than our larger competitors. After all, we are now in the world where the fast eat the slow versus yester year when the big ate the small. Our attitude and activities enable us to remain accountable for our guest service."
Representatives from the brand's Central Reservations and Internet marketing group were then brought on stage to identify the top questions asked by potential guests. Also discussed was the brand's e-commerce strategy and tips for enhanced search engine optimization.
With such a strong focus on customer service, Gokal said he is confident that VISTA® will grow its current hotel portfolio to 50 hotels in the short term. His goal is to achieve 400 hotels representing 28,000 guestrooms by 2013.
"We believe that our ‘CUSTOMERized' franchise program, that promotes a relationship of mutual commitment, accountability, and flexibility, will quickly correlate into profitability and success for both the brand and the hotel owner," Harvel said to attendees. "Instead of dictating to you, our customers, about what you must do, we encourage your willing participation. You know what we expect at a minimum. If you do this, plus what the market dictates, then you will be rewarded for your efforts." Harvel reminded its customers of the significant several differences between
Vista and other franchise companies, including:
- No liquidated damages - Customers can leave the VISTA® system with or without cause with an established annual mutual window;
- No inspections - VISTA® instead tracks quality through guest complaints;
- No standards changes - VISTA® will not mandate brand changes without the approval of its customer advisory board and willing participation of its customers;
- No vendor exclusivity; VISTA® will only require specifications compliance;
- No property improvement plan - Customers determine if VISTA® should consider the property application based on pending "improvements" or "as is";
- No vague impact policy - VISTA® offers a clearly defined area of protection based on business protection;
- No underwriting of programs - VISTA® will not make a profit for itself at the expense of the customer.
Gokal restated for its customers that the VISTA® Performance Guarantee - VISTA® will deliver a mutually agreed upon reservation performance or we will refund royalty fees paid in that year is - is all about doing the right thing. "It's about who we are and what we do to affect real and meaningful change in the franchising environment through flexible agreement terms, mutual commitments, customer service and support, and guest satisfaction," he said. "Again we invite all franchise companies (regardless of segment) to join us in changing the experience for hotel owners for the future betterment of our industry. After all, hospitality is about doing the right thing."
Laura Lee Blake, of the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn., commended VISTA® for its effort to make radical changes toward the improvement of fair franchising. VISTA® is turning AAHOA's 12 Points of Fair Franchising into 17 points through its new Fairness Doctrine," she said. "We commend them for their efforts and hope to see more hotel companies step up and be accountable. The lodging industry has come a long way…but we have further to go."
Top 10 Predictions:
Gokal concluded the first day's event by offering his Top 10 Predictions for the lodging industry by the year 2013:
- Total hotel energy efficiency priority in design and renovation.
- Hotels change the way they are doing business to offer experience versus need.
- Wireless telephone systems will be the norm in all guestrooms.
- Alarm clocks will no longer be available in guestrooms.
- Guest bathrooms will become larger, even if it means guestrooms are smaller.
- Guests will be able to select, make reservations and check-in from their automobiles.
- Online reservations will double as will air travel.
- Hotels will feature electric car plug-in recharging stations in parking lots.
- Franchise contract terms will be shorter and terminations will be easier.
- VISTA® Inns and VISTA® Inns & Suites will have arrived as a mid-tier national brand.
The second day of the annual event was filled with individual and group networking opportunities: Providing smart operating tools to the VISTA® franchisees (customers in VISTA® parlance); One on one appointments with Vista vendors; Reporting brand performance statistics; Brand awards; and, A gala function.
VISTA Shows Leadership in the Industry " We Perform or Your Money Back!"
Unprecedented offer places the burden of performance on a mutual franchisor/franchisee commitment; Royalty fees are refunded at 100% if reservations performance is not met
San Antonio, Texas - March 27, 2008-Vista Hospitality Solutions (http://corporate.vistarez.com), an AdVantis Hospitality Alliance based in Murfreesboro, Tenn., announced today an unprecedented "Performance Guarantee" for customers of its two franchised brands: VISTA® Inns and VISTA® Inn & Suites. According to brand President Ramesh Gokal, "Vista will deliver a mutually agreed upon reservation performance or we will refund royalty fees paid in that year." The announcement was made at the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn. (AAHOA) 2008 Annual Convention & Trade Show in San Antonio, Texas.
"We believe that with more than 300 hotel brands in America today, it is time that at least one of them should do the right thing," Gokal said. "VISTA® is all about change and doing the right thing! Many brands offer some sort of guarantee or windows to exit their system, but most of those programs have onerous qualifiers the hotel owners have to meet in order to exercise their exit. Our philosophy is decidedly different. We simply give our customers their money back if we do not perform up to their expectations. There are no hooks or catches to this program."
When it comes to performance, Gokal said franchisors continuously push mandates on owners to maximize revenue streams. In contrast, when challenged about its own performance, the franchise company tends to fall back on age-old management-limitation and control excuses. At Vista, he said, customers are empowered to own and operate their hotels with maximum freedom and support, and minimum dictates and interference.
"We aren't looking to share in the upside revenue potential of our owners," said Kelly Harvel, Vista Executive Vice President. "Instead, we have designed what we call a ‘CUSTOMERized' franchise program that promotes a relationship of mutual commitment, accountability, and flexibility that correlates into profitability and success for both the brand and the hotel owner.
"Instead of dictating to our customers about what they must do, we encourage their willing participation in well-defined parameters of accountability," he said. "If they know our expectations, and they meet those expectations at a minimum plus do whatever the market and competition dictates, they can't help but be successful." Harvel cited several differences between Vista and other franchise companies, including:
- No liquidated damages - Customers can leave the Vista system with or without cause with an established annual mutual window;
- No inspections - Vista instead tracks quality through guest complaints;
- No standards changes - Vista will not mandate brand changes without the approval of its customer advisory board and willing participation of its customers;
- No vendor exclusivity; Vista will only require specifications compliance;
- No property improvement plan - Customers determine if Vista should consider the property application based on pending "improvements" or "as is";
- No vague impact policy - Vista offers a clearly defined area of protection based on business protection;
- No underwriting of programs - Vista will not make a profit for itself at the expense of the customer.
- Doing the Right Thing
According to Gokal, leadership demands that franchise companies "do the right thing." To Vista, "the right thing" means being held accountable for the performance it delivers to its customers. "Doing the right thing is not just about our Performance Guarantee," he said. "It's about who we are and what we do to affect real and meaningful change in the franchising environment through flexible agreement terms, mutual commitments, customer service and support, and guest satisfaction. "We invite all franchise companies (regardless of segment) to join us in changing the experience for hotel owners for the future betterment of our industry," he said. "After all, hospitality is about doing the right thing." Gokal and Harvel said they plan to grow the Vista brand in 2008 from 10 hotels to more than 50 hotels, with a goal of 400 hotels representing 28,000 guestrooms by 2013.