Key West Inns Provides Hotel Owners With A New Conversion Option

Birmingham, Alabama - Key West Inns, Inc. has rolled out their new 2006 conversion program to much excitement and interest.

Established in 1989, Key West Inns, a popular southeastern United States chain is looking to grow. Key West Inns hired the Los Angeles based Hotel Consulting firm Kapoor and Kapoor Hospitality Consultants, LLC.

(www.kapoorandkapoor.net) to assist in restructuring the company and redesigning the franchise program. With the assistance of Managing Director, Tarun Kapoor and Senior Vice President Lodging, Ramesh Gokal, Key West Inns developed a new flat royalty fee of one dollar per room per day. Additional services and features were added to the franchise program including a ten year license agreement which has annual exit windows. Every twelve months the licensee has the option to leave the Key West Inn system with no fees or penalties.

Key West Inns along with Kapoor and Kapoor has developed an innovative franchise service program with the goal to optimize profitability for each franchisee. While the rest of the franchisors are cutting back service to their licensees, Key West Inns is adding. The cornerstone of the program is the "Franchisee Success Coach". This first of its kind initiative is spearheaded by Brian Robinson. It includes on-site (at the hotel) coaching and training that is customized to the needs of the specific Franchisee. This comprehensive program includes owner (franchisee) development, Hotel operations training, sales training and revenue management training. Key West Inn Franchisees no longer need to come to a convention to be preached to. Instead Key West goes to them. The truly amazing part of this program is that there is no incremental cost to the licensee - it is a part of the "one dollar per room per day program."

Neal Jackson, President of Key West Inns is amazed with the response that the chain has received. "In the last three months we have received more calls and emails than we have in the last eight years". Today, we have approved applications in for Mississippi and Georgia. I believe what people like is the new license agreement and fee structure, but a big hit is the "Franchisee Success Coach".

The Franchisee Success Coach (FSC) has increased the revenue of the entire Key West Inns chain by 25%. Focusing on coaching and local sales, The FSC has given the hotel operator the confidence to make the sale and securing new business. In July of 2006, just one franchisee secured a two year, $200,000 account, pretty impressive for a 56 unit Key West Inn in Cookeville, Tennessee.