Atlanta, Georgia, Hayden, Idaho, and Toronto, Canada | US Franchise Systems, Inc. (USFS) announced today that it has selected VFM Interactive and VR National as the exclusive endorsed producers and distributors of rich media for its three hotel brands Microtel Inns & Suites, Hawthorn Suites and America’s Best Inns & Suites.

Under the agreement, VR National will provide production of hotel 360° tours and still images for US Franchise Systems’ hotel properties. VFM Interactive will provide production of PhotoFlicks® -- moving slide-shows enhanced with voice narration and music. VFM will also provide hosting, management and distribution of all USFS properties’ rich media to USFS’ hotel brand websites and to VFM’s growing network of more than 5,000 travel websites such as Travelocity, Orbitz and TripAdvisor.

“The ability for consumers to experience our hotels online and have confidence before booking is critical for our properties to compete more effectively and capture more bookings online,” explained Allison Solomon, director of electronic marketing for US Franchise Systems. “We are excited to partner with VFM and VR National, and to be able to provide our franchisees with the most effective and affordable marketing tools available.”

VR National is a leader in affordable, quality 360° virtual tours and still image photography, using the most advanced technology in order to give consumers a much more realistic view of a property’s rooms. VFM is a leader in a range of rich media products and recently added PhotoFlicks® to its portfolio in order to offer rich media that was as engaging as video but affordable to all hotels.

As well, VFM provides unparalleled distribution of hotel property rich media across the Internet. This enables properties to sell their properties far more impactfully wherever a consumer may find them while researching hotels on the web.

“We are tremendously excited about this partnership,” says Paolo Boni, President and CEO of VFM. “US Franchise Systems has taken the best of the best and put it together to offer a comprehensive rich media solution for these three hotel brands. Our current clients have seen dramatic increases in conversion rates by using rich media and distributing it strategically and there’s every reason to believe that USFS will as well.”

Adds Tina Koehler, President of VR National: “Since we began providing virtual tours for leading hotel brands, we’ve been determined to maintain leading edge quality with extremely affordable prices. We’re thrilled that our consistent track record in doing exactly that has led USFS to select us.”