Citrus County Chronicle
May 10, 2013
http://www.chronicleonline.com

The lights are on and the welcome mat is out at the Quality Inn Conference Center at Citrus Hills.

After a major renovation, the former Citrus Hills Lodge has become a hospitality asset in the center of the county.

The 50-unit hotel also offers more than 3,000 square feet of meeting/banquet facilities through Tuscany on the Meadows.

The hotel is now part of Ocala-based HDG hotels, which acquired it in November. The company has nine hotels, including the Lecanto Holiday Inn Express.

General Manager Sarah Aube said the hotel is now ADA-compliant and fully nonsmoking with numerous improvements for guests.

The repainted rooms have new air conditioners, carpeting, lights, furniture, bedding headboards and pictures. Even some walls were replaced to eliminate mold. Each room now has a safe, single-serving coffeemaker and a 32-inch flat screen TV. Plush towels, new drapes and shears, and sparkling bathrooms with granite vanities complete the new look.

“There are five Jacuzzi suites and two handicapped rooms,” she said. “We can accommodate anyone now.”

“It was a complete renovation,” she said. “It took us two and a half months to get all 50 rooms done.”

And the rooms were just part of the makeover, which extended to lobby, pool deck, gazebo area, landscaping, lighting and signs.

The heated pool has an ADA-compliant lift and surrounding areas were deep cleaned and resurfaced. Manager assistant Alicia Yeager pointed out the new breakfast area and said they have new vending machines that ensure customers always receive a product.

She showed off other new touches — tiling, padded carpeting in hallways and a refurbished elevator. The upstairs needed special attention and took longer, since eight rooms had been completely out of service for years.

Yeager, who has been on the job three years, said with the new marquee sign, lighting and landscaping they are now highly visible and attractive from the road.

Aube said there are still more upgrades to come, but work so far has paid off. “We’re doing wonderful,” she said. “We have already seen a 75 percent occupancy increase year over year. Return guests are coming back and referring people,” Yeager said. “It’s more of a luxury now.”

With improvements of its own completed, Tuscany on the Meadows partners with the hotel side providing complete conference and special event services.

“We’re a team,” said owner AnnMarie Anzalone-Briercheck. “Not only do we do weddings and parties, we also do seminars. Because we’re a conference center we have WiFi, projectors, screens and everything else needed.”

Events can be held indoors, on the indoor-outdoor patio area or at the gazebo. The facility can accommodate groups from 20 to 144 people and completely plan the event.

http://www.colemanreport.com

Bob Coleman: We’re with Azim Saju and Rocky Pintozzi at the Choice Owners Council in Phoenix, Arizona. Gentlemen, thank you for inviting me; wonderful day. Financing is key for your members. What is the main take away that the attendees are going to take with them back to their locations?

Azim Saju: The main take away I heard was character matters as much as cash flow; meaning being responsive to your lender; having regular financial statements; sharing those with the lender; creating a partnership with your lender so that you’re not connecting with them only during circumstances when you have a need, but you’re consistently connecting with them and sharing your financial information.

Bob: Now we need to get the regulators to view you as Main Street employers and Main Street Small Businesses, and out of that commercial real estate bucket.

Azim: Absolutely.

Bob: Tell us about the Choice Owners Council. What should bankers know about your brand?

Rocky Pintozzi: Well we represent the core brands of Choice Hotels. Choice Hotels itself has ten different brands. We represent the core brands, the Comfort family – The Comfort Inns, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, and about 3,000/4,000 members on any given day. So we represent them as advocates to the Brand. We’re elected to our positions in our different regions and we meet with them locally; and then we represent them when we go . . .

Bob: A lot of more professional management coming down the line. I mean your group here are survivors and they’ve learned how to manage this recession; and I imagine a lot more financial data bench-marking their better operators.

Rocky: Yes, and I find that being involved with CHOC is that I come away as a better operator, too. I learn from the franchisor; I learn from our peers; we learn from each other. And we do become a better operator.

Bob: Rocky, in this congress right now, SBA 504 Refinance – it looks like it has bi-partisan support; we’re hoping it goes through. How important is that for your members?

Rocky: Incredible. I did one myself and

Bob: And you’re out of . . .

Rocky: Chicago. And it was tough; it was tough to get it done. It wasn’t our first SBA loan either, but you had that 11 month wheelhouse where they didn’t have the program set, so we were watching the clock very closely. And a lot of money didn’t get put in play, which is very disappointing.
Bob: Yeah, a lot of money was left on the table.
Rocky: Absolutely. And because we are, unfortunately, put in the same bucket as a lot of restaurant owners that have gone under; you know that holds us back I think. I would hope that not only our leaders, but the eventual banks that would lend us the money, would look at us differently. And the default rate, this is not as high as other brands or other companies.

Bob: Azim, you’re out of Ocala, Florida. How many years do you have, and here you have a choice to talk to the bankers out there. What do you want to tell them?

Azim: We have 9 units; and what I want to tell the bankers, especially as it relates to Choice Brands, is that the franchisor is putting their money where their mouth is; meaning that Sleep Inn had a refresh, or is going through a refresh as a Brand. And Choice has financially participated with that refresh, which is a big deal; because not only does it raise the value of the Brand, but it shows that they believe in what they are rolling out so much that they are ready to put money there. And in turn, our individual Sleep Inn properties have seen huge jumps in index resulting in, I believe, from those refreshes.

Rocky: Absolutely.

Bob: Great. Azim, Rocky; Phoenix, Arizona. Thank you for joining us gentlemen.

Rocky: Thank you Bob. Thank you for coming.

Azim: Thank you Bob.

http://www.hdghotels.com

 
 
6 KEYS TO SUSTAINABILITY
 
Now sustainability can be a winning strategy for the hospitality industry – the days of the cheap fast build for quick resale are long gone. But how do we achieve that?? There are 6 key areas, which when we recognize the value they represent to our hotels and our businesses’ sustainability, we cannot any longer ignore.
 
 
1. Franchisee and Franchisor Relationships
 
The first key area is, quite simply, Franchise and Franchisor relationships. We are all here because we are Choice Hotel Franchisees. As such, we understand and value that franchised business models are significantly more sustainable and profitable than otherwise. That being said, the inherent conflict in this relationship is that our top line is the franchisor’s bottom line and our bottom line is what we take home. What we take home ultimately is what we use to put clothes on our backs and shelter over ours and our families’ heads. As a fellow licensee and your association’s chairperson, I am here to tell you loud and clear that I get that. In spite of this, what I do propose here is that the terms franchisor franchisee relationship be exchanged for the term Partnership. The partnership means each side cares about the long term return of the other by investing in themselves and also investing in each other. Neither of us can get very far once we have hitched our wagons together unless we move in the same direction.
 
Of course, there are always going to be areas where we don’t see eye-to-eye. Consider the issue of amenities, refreshes, upgrades and new brand initiatives/roll outs. I am here to tell you that the desire to upgrade the brand to maintain and grow market share while allowing us to generate a reasonable return can peacefully coexist. As franchisees, we need to understand that a stagnant brand delivers minimal value resulting in a subdivision similar to the one in which the second pig built his home. However, our franchisor partner also needs to also understand that if they only focus on growth in market share and top line revenues, then this is a race to the bottom which is not sustainable. Our franchisor partner needs to further understand that as business owners, our costs — from utilities to regulatory compliance to brand standard compliance, and reservation fees – continue to increase every year, and for many, if not all, of us are outpacing the growth we are seeing in revenue. For that matter, average hotel room rates have not even kept pace with inflation over the last ten years. And now, although revenues in the hotel industry revenues are finally up, the increase in our bottom line is not commensurate to our increase in revenues — and the risk we take. This is a common theme I have heard from the hundreds of Choice licensees I have spoken with starting from Fall Regionals last year. In this regard, our licensees at Fall Regionals and even at some of our townhalls are more concerned about net ADR because they know that the lack of substantial growth in net adr is having a severe adverse impact on our bottom line.
 
To all of us here today, I will share with you this recent example when it amenity creep balanced against maintaining market share and protecting our bottom line and brand value. The example is when apple came out with the mac, Dell responded by creating a computer matching all the bells and whistles of a mac. HP’s response was to focus on low cost high impact items. HP matched the mac by simply putting a head set plug in to their lap tops. Low cost, high impact which is my definition of touch point – a term our partners at Choice use when discussing the thought behind new brand rollouts/initiatives. The result: Dell is cash starved while HP is growing its bottom line. We must all commit to taking the HP approach, which is a winning strategy for the new normal. That’s when partnership matters most – when we recognize the need for a mutual win. If we do not recognize this through solution driven dialogue, then I will tell you that we are assured a mutual loss.
 
 
2. Your Franchise Association
 
This brings me to the second key area for sustainability: Your franchise association and its membership. I do not place the blame on amenity creep and the increase in costs solely on the franchisor. To the contrary, as I said last year at Convention, Choice Hotels has been surprisingly open to hearing from its licensees on these issues. However, the voices coming from our association need to have integrity and credibility in the eyes of all the stakeholders. This voice needs to not only reflect the best and the brightest in the industry – this voice has to be representative of the majority of franchisees and not a small select minority. The voice has to be one which knows, understands and appreciates that more can be done as partners while balancing the association’s independent voice and conveying to our franchisor partner how hard it is to turn a profit and create a sustainable business model. I am here to tell you to participate in your regional town halls, regional advisory boards and region’s national membership. Do it. Do it now. We have never needed your voice so much as we do today. Your participation and the directors sitting here today representing your respective regions impact your bottom line and your hotel’s sustainability. Our partnership can grow significantly by focusing on two important areas: First, we need to more actively think of new sources of revenue that go beyond just occupancy and average daily rate. As partners, we all need to have a conversation of what additional areas we can monetize in our industry without compromising on our guest experience and our brand value. This means critically thinking about areas, such “pay for play” internet bandwidth, landing pages and new sources of revenues at our hotels. The second is effective revenue management tools that flex rates, discounts and channel management, similar to what our friends do at the airlines. As I said earlier in my speech, ADR growth is not keeping pace with even inflation and net ADR is becoming an important issue to my fellow licensees. We can combat this and grow rate by improved user friendly revenue management tools and forecasting so that our rates, discounts, restrictions, channels are all changing subject to demand. This coupled with new sources of monetization go directly to our bottom line.
 
The point here is that to be a part of the solution we all need to find, your experience, your insight and your collaboration are of tremendous value. If all we do is spend our time belaboring the problem, then the problem remains. If we focus our attention on the solution, we give it a chance to be a reality. In this regard, if you do not speak, you cannot be heard. And if you only shout, you are not listening. In either case, we are not solution driven. I urge my fellow CHOC members, partners at Choice and our licensees to be solution driven in your dialogue and interaction simply because solutions exist which can grow our pie.
 
 
3. Lending and Finance
 
Of course, any list that discusses sustainability would be incomplete without discussing our third area – Lending and finance. Credit continues to remain tight. My suggestion to our membership is that, once you have secured a lender, make them your partner from the outset – are you sensing a theme here? Be transparent with them in terms of your financial, STAR report, guest insight surveys and overall performance within the brand. Educate your lender as to your plan to sustain their asset over the long run. I have said this in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and I will say it now…. You cannot cut your way out of an economic downturn. Simply stated, communicate, connect and engage with your lender. Character matters and let your lender know all the efforts you are making to run an efficient operation while maintaining the asset’s long term sustainability. In fact, in this same General Session, we will have a complete panel discussion about financing and lending. I know you will not want to miss it.
 
 
4. Hotel Operations
 
I suppose Hotel operations is an obvious area for building sustainability – this is the bricks with which your house is built. You cannot grow that which you do not love.
 
The basic point here is also that good ole fashion clean rooms and friendly service resulting from a strong hotel operations culture count more than ever. When it comes to service, we should promise that our guests will receive the same level of service, if not better, than those of the Hilton, Holiday Inn and Marriot hotels. If we can make this commitment, then the principle that 80% of our future business will come from the guests that stayed with us last night will remain a strong source of continued growth in revenue and market share.
 
 
5. Community Involvement
 
Be A Vital Part of Your Community. This 5th area is about the simple fact that people do business with people they know and like. Grow your business by participating in your community. If you are known and liked within your community, then business will tend to gravitate towards your hotel.
 
 
6. Environmental Sustainability
 
And the last, but not least, Sustain the environment. Sustainable business practices are no longer separate from sustaining the environment. Yes, it’s true, you can have a green friendly hotel which benefits your ROI and makes your customers proud to be a guest. Save the earth programs can help you with your housekeeping costs; LED lights can help with your utility bills; check your water heaters and pipes for leaks. In so doing, you are saving the earth and simultaneously improving your NOI. A study done by FORBES and MIT of companies engaging in green friendly sustainable practices unequivocally states that such practices improve both the earth’s and your businesses’ sustainability.
 
 
So, there you have it. Value. A Strategy of Sustainability. They come from 6 simple principles:
 
1. Investing in the Franchisee-Franchisor Relationship – working for our mutual solutions and bottom lines.
2. Investing in your Franchise Association – recognizing the powerful value of your own voice for your own advocacy.
3. Investing in Financing and Lending from a perspective of collaboration with your lender.
4. Investing in Hotel Operations — where the rubber hits the road.
5. Invest in Your Community as your source of a strong reputation and stronger resources.
6. Investing in Environmentally Sustainable practices – doing good in order to reap real ROI.

http://www.hdghotels.com

Ocala, FL – November 20, 2012 – HDG hotels has added yet another hotel to its portfolio which is now at 9 hotels and in excess of 800 hotel rooms.  Just last month, HDG hotels added the 150 room Quality Inn and Conference Center in New Port Richey, Florida.  This time HDG hotels in partnership with the Florida Business Investment Group (FBIG) based out of Orlando purchased the Citrus Hills Lodge in Hernando, Florida.  The Lodge will be reflagged to the Quality Inn Conference Center at Citrus Hills.  The fifty unit hotel also offers over 3,000 square feet worth of meeting/banquet facilities.

When asked about this newest addition to the HDG portfolio, HDG President, Navroz Saju spoke of the “tremendous personnel and procedures HDG has developed which has allowed it to expand.” Saju further spoke of the tremendous culture at HDG which allows it to continue to operate hotels that are award winning and significantly outperform their competitive set.  Saju further spoke of his philosophy of developing win-win partnerships.  In the case of the Quality Inn, he referenced the importance of partnering capital with expertise to maximize the stakeholders’ return on investment.

Saju and his brother, Azim Saju, are based out of Ocala, Florida and are the principals of HDG hotels.  Marion County, Florida awarded HDG business of the year award.  Professionally, Saju obtained his accounting degree from University of Florida and Law Degree from Georgetown.  He resides in Ocala with his wife and two sons.

November 7, 2012

http://www.hdghotels.com

November 7, 2012 – Albuquerque, New Mexico – Azim Saju was elected as the Chairperson for the Choice Hotels Owners’ Council for 2013. His election platform focused on developing a win-win relationship with all of the organization’s stakeholders; focusing on those issues which can be more readily achieved to provide an immediate return to the organization’s stakeholders; fully leveraging off of the organization’s resources; and continuing to engage with the licensee base while being transparent with the organization’s stakeholders. Saju said he is, “passionate about the hotel business and leadership… and that he is excited about bringing this passion to the owners’ council.” He further said that, “he is looking forward to serve as the owners’ council’s chairperson for 2013.”

Saju is vice president and general counsel of HDG hotels which is based out of Ocala, Florida. Saju and his brother, Navroz Saju, are the founding members of HDG hotels, which owns and operates nine hotels throughout Central and North Central Florida. The Marion County, FL chamber of commerce recently awarded HDG hotels its business of the year. Saju obtained his law degree from the University of Florida and undergraduate degree in Economics from Davidson College. He resides in Ocala with his wife and daughter. Ocala has been home for Saju and his family since 1981.

October 24, 2012

http://www.hdghotels.com

ATLANTA (Oct. 24, 2012) – The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Ocala-Silver Springs received the IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) 2012 Torchbearer Award, the company’s most prestigious award.

The Torchbearer Award was presented during the 2012 IHG Americas Investors & Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, Oct. 24–26, 2012.

The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Ocala-Silver Springs is one of only 102 properties within the Americas chosen from the IHG system of more than 4,500 hotels for achieving the highest levels of excellence in all aspects of operation — from quality to customer satisfaction. A 2012 Torchbearer trophy, the company’s symbol of excellence, will be on permanent display at the hotel.

“It is my pleasure to name the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Ocala-Silver Springs as one of the top-notch hotels in our industry,” said Kirk Kinsell, President, the Americas, IHG. “This hotel embodies the heart of our brand promise and continues to make IHG properties known and admired throughout the world, continuing our mission to deliver Great Hotels Guests Love.”

Nearly 5,000 franchise owners, operators and company officials attended the 2012 IHG Americas Investors & Leadership Conference.

 
 
About Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Ocala-Silver Springs
Located approximately 3 miles from the Historic Downtown Ocala, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Ocala-Silver Springs is close to everything Marion County has to offer. From the Silver Springs Attractions across the street to the magnificent Ocala National Forest few miles to the east, the award-winning hotel is also just minutes from the area’s finest shopping, dining and eco-tourism activities.

For more information or to make reservations, call the Holiday Inn Express Ocala-Silver Springs directly at (352)304-6111 or at toll-free number (800)465-4329. You can also get more information online at www.ocalasilverspringshotel.com.

 
 
About InterContinental Hotels Group
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global company operating seven hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® . IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme with almost 60 million members worldwide.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

OCALA, FL, OCTOBER 8, 2012: Navroz Saju, President and CEO of HDG Hotels, announced the newest acquisition to the HDG family on October 1, 2012. This addition is the 151 room Quality Inn & Suites Conference Center in New Port Richey, Florida. Based out of Ocala, Florida, HDG’s newest addition grows its portfolio to 760 hotel rooms throughout Florida and would be HDG’s first hotel on Florida’s west coast. In making this announcement, Navroz Saju pointed to HDG’s remarkable growth over a ten year period where it has increased its total hotels from one to eight and increased its employees from 15 to nearly 300.

The Quality Inn & Suites Conference Center is a full service hotel with a restaurant, bar and 5,000 square feet of meeting space. It also includes three swimming pools and is nearby to Tampa and Tarpon Springs. The hotel is located on U.S. 19 and also nearby to many local area attractions and restaurants.

When asked of HDG’s continued growth in spite of the challenging economy, Navroz pointed to the talented team at HDG hotels at every level and the HDG culture of “brilliance in the basics.” He specifically stated that “he was extremely proud to be the leader of so many talented and resourceful individuals who have enabled HDG to continue to strategically grow its portfolio of hotels and deliver value to all of its stakeholders.”

Heroes of Hospitality

In a dazzling display of enthusiasm, athleticism and camaraderie, the housekeeping team at Howard Johnson Ocala celebrated the International Housekeeping Week 2012. This annual event, held every 2nd week of September since 1981, recognizes the unsung heroes who work tirelessly to maintain a cleaner, safer and healthier environment for everyone.

In addition to fun and games, our housekeeping heroes also participated in a week-long food drive and cash donation collection for local Interfaith Charities.  They placed a collection box for non-perishable items in the hotel lobby and small donation envelopes in guest rooms with a note explaining the charity of choice.  Over 200 pounds of food was gathered and over $385 cash!

See the fun games and activities our housekeeping professionals at Howard Johnson Ocala had in store for everyone…

Housekeeping Supervisors:

Housekeepers:

Laundry:

Video Gallery

Chow Time	Quiz Show	More Quizzes	Laundry Fold	Laundry Fold 2
Blind Trays	Dirtiest Rag	Blind Bedsheet	Find Coins

Choice Hotels International Recognizes its Top Franchise Hotels & Owners at 2012 Convention Top Hotels Awarded “Hotel of the Year,” “Premier Alliance” and “Developer of the Year” Recognitions

SILVER SPRING, Md., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) recognized the cream of the hotel crop this year at its 58th Annual Convention last night in Las Vegas. The winning hotels, owners and developers of this year’s award season for the franchisor represent the best of the best within the 6,100-plus property Choice Hotels family throughout the United States and worldwide. Among this year’s award winners were three “Developer of the Year” recipients, five “Premier Alliance” winners, 14 “Hotel of the Year” hotels, and one “Woman of the Year”.

“Selected as the winning hotels and owners from all our properties and franchisees across the globe, these properties and hoteliers have shown a strong commitment to extraordinary guest satisfaction–they represent the true meaning of hospitality to our consumers,” said Stephen P. Joyce, president and CEO for Choice Hotels. “I am truly proud of all the owners, general managers and employees of these hotels and they should be proud to receive this recognition of their great accomplishments.”

2012 Developer of the Year Winners:
Cambria Suites – Mark LaPort of Concord Hospitality
Cambria Suites – Richard Lake of Roadside Development
Extended Stay – Dora Hospitality
Core Brands – Jon Miskavige and Ryan Carlson

2012 Premier Alliance Winners:
Azim Saju of HDG Hotels
The Myer Family The Burton Hotel Group
Torre Morgal of Lincoln and Associations
Ross Almo (Corporate Social Responsibility)
Frankie Whelehan, Choice Hotels Ireland (International)

2012 Inn of the Year Award Winners:
Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills of Branson, Mo. (Urban)
Comfort Inn & Suites of Chillicothe, Mo. (Suburban)
Comfort Suites Ontario Airport of Ontario, Calif.
Quality Inn & Suites of Waco, Texas Sleep Inn & Suites of Round Rock, Texas Clarion Inn of Garden City, Kans.
Cambria Suites of Traverse City, Mich.
MainStay Suites of Rogers, Ark.
Suburban Extended Stay Hotel of Clarksville, Ind.
Econo Lodge of Rochester, Minn.
Rodeway Inn of Junction, Texas Inn at the Mill, an Ascend Collection hotel, of Johnson, Ark.
Comfort Hotel Kurosaki of Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka, Japan (International)
Quality Inn Chihuahua San Francisco, Chihuahua, Mexico (International)
Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret of Bergen, Norway (International)

Additionally, the company would like to recognize Kitty Friere as this year’s Woman of the Year. The Women of the Year award serves to recognize one outstanding woman within the Choice Hotels franchise family for her contributions to the travel industry. The award celebrates professional achievement, personal leadership, and industry leadership.

The Developer of the Year recognizes the best developers in the Choice Hotels system. One winner is named for each tier of core brands, extended stay and Cambria Suites.

The Premier Alliance award recognizes exceptional franchisees that develop properties with Choice Hotels, live up to the brand promise through excellent property performance, and are active in the franchise community. The award recognizes owners who are truly committed to the brand and who work closely with Choice Hotels to enhance the brand’s success.

Hotel of the Year award winners rank within the top percentage of their brand and are selected in part by reviewing each property’s guest satisfaction scores, which are calculated using the results of surveys that are emailed to hotel guests within three days of their checkout. Selection of the award-winning properties is ultimately determined by the Choice Hotels Owners Council, the Econo Lodge Franchise Association and the Rodeway Owners Association, with collaboration from Choice Hotels among a selection of the company’s brands.

Choice Hotels International would like to congratulate all of its 2012 Convention award winners! About Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,100 hotels, representing more than 495,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories. As of March 31, 2012, more than 350 hotels were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 30,000 rooms, and approximately 80 hotels, representing approximately 7,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in approximately 20 other countries and territories. The company’s Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands serve guests worldwide. In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. web site, which may be accessed at

.

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

2012 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

End of FDIC program may hurt small firm lending
By Jose Pagliery @CNNMoney

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

– Small business lending could take a major hit if a federal program that insures small business accounts ends later this year.
The program, run by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, provides unlimited insurance for $1.4 trillion in noninterest-bearing transaction accounts, the kind small firms generally use to do payroll. Started in 2008 while the recession was in full swing, the program was created to encourage small business owners to keep their deposits at community banks.

But with the program set to expire at the end of December, community banks fear small companies will shift billions of dollars in deposits to the nation’s largest banks. Larger banks are viewed as safer institutions because of their size. If small banks lose their deposits, it could stifle or kill their capacity to lend to small firms, which need financing to expand and hire.

Ronald Paul, CEO of EagleBank (EGBN) in Bethesda, Md., said his bank could lose as much as $500 million in deposits if small business owners lose the insurance on their accounts.

And if that happens, “that would put us at a zero ability to make new loans,” said Paul.

EagleBank, which has assets just shy of $3 billion, would be unable to make loans like the $400,000 one it made recently to a nearby restaurant, Paul explained. That financing allowed the eatery to create 61 jobs, of which 21 went to people who were unemployed. The bank lent $101 million to small firms last year, said Paul.

The loss of small business deposits “has the real potential to slow down the economic recovery, and more importantly, jobs,” Paul said.

Bill Isaac, who led the FDIC during the 1980s banking crisis, agreed. Doing away with the insurance now would reroute funds to large banks, hurt small business and impede job growth, he said.

The Independent Community Bankers of America, a trade group, is lobbying Congress to extend the transaction account guarantee program, arguing the economy isn’t yet healthy enough to eliminate it.

“It’s a huge public policy question that should be resolved before we even get close to Dec. 31,” said Paul Merski, the banking group’s chief economist.

Small business owners are largely unaware of the upcoming deadline, and those that do know are uneasy.

Azim Saju and his brother, Navroz, own and operate seven hotels in Florida and already know what it’s like to suffer through a bank failure. When one lender was taken over by the FDIC in 2009, their business checking account was frozen for two days, which left them scrambling for cash.

The brothers still keep checking accounts for four of their hotels in local banks, only because loan covenants require them to do so.

But if the FDIC program expires, they would consider moving their money to larger banks, said Navroz.

During the financial crisis, as community banks began failing by the dozen, the amount of money in all accounts insured by the FDIC was raised from $100,000 to $250,000. However, noninterest-bearing accounts used for payroll typically contain much more than that, so the FDIC approved a temporary program to provide unlimited insurance for those deposits. The thinking was that small businesses would keep their payroll accounts at local banks if they felt all of it remained safe.

In 2010, Congress extended the unlimited coverage another two years with the Dodd-Frank law. The agency is now operating on the assumption the program’s life is over, according to an FDIC official, and insurance will be limited to $250,000 for those accounts.

Only 3% of the $1.4 trillion that the program insures is at community banks with less than $1 billion in assets.

But that’s still $46 billion that might end up moving to the nation’s largest banks. Big banks don’t offer insurance either, but the public perception is that they are too big to fail, so it isn’t as necessary. A huge shift of deposits out of community banks would come at a time when they have stepped up lending to small firms as behemoth banks pulled back, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Howie Jung, chairman of Paragon Commercial Bank in Raleigh, N.C., thinks he’ll lose up to 5% of his deposits but not enough to stifle his lending to small firms.

“I think it’ll cause some problems, but nothing catastrophic,” Jung said.

Others have a darker view. Losing those deposits would drive up the cost of lending, said Bill Schenck III, president of Tristate Capital Bank in Pittsburgh, Pa. It might also force them to raise their credit standards.

“We will still be working hard to make loans to small businesses. But it will make our cost of doing business for small business more expensive,” Schenck said.

Hampton Inn named Lighthouse Award winner

Published: Sunday, April 08, 2012

Koch, William

LEESBURG

Special to the Daily Commercial

Hampton Hotels (www.hampton.com), the global brand of mid-priced Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites hotels, has honored the Hampton Inn Leesburg/Tavares, at 9630 U.S. Hwy 441, with the company’s Lighthouse Award, designating it as one of the hotel chain’s top performing hotels among more than 1,800 Hampton properties.

Hampton Inn Leesburg/Tavares was recognized for its high rankings in overall accommodations, service and quality.

The award criteria was based on customer feedback measured through guest satisfaction surveys on the hotel, as well as product quality and service scores measured quarterly by the Hampton Hotels brand.

“The competition to be among the elite group of Hampton Lighthouse Award winners becomes stronger each year as the Hampton brand continues to add more hotels and continually looks for ways to strengthen the guest experience. This makes us especially proud to receive the honor,” said Azim Saju, general manager of Hampton Inn Leesburg/Tavares.

The five-story, 82-room Hampton Inn Leesburg/Tavares is located near such area attractions as Harris Chain of Lakes. Standard hotel amenities include free hot breakfast, free wi-fi access and free daily newspaper. Guestrooms are equipped with a microwave, refrigerator, 32-inch flat-screen TV, coffee maker, iron and board.

For information visit www.leesburgtavareshotel.com, or call 352-315-1053 or 800-HAMPTON.

Chamber Honors Its Many Stars

By: Susan Latham Carr
Staff Writer

There was a galaxy of stars at the Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s 124th annual meeting Thursday night, but some seemed to sparkle just a little brighter than the others as the 2011 Stars Over Ocala Business Awards were presented to local businesses and individuals at the Appleton Museum of Art.

Ken Daley, the 2007 Chamber board chairman who is president and CEO of Bernie Little Distributing LLC, was the emcee of the event dressed in a smock and artist’s beret and toting a pallette and brush to emphasize the evening’s theme, “Creating a Masterpiece for our New Economy.”

Chamber President Jaye Baillie spoke of the Chamber’s long legacy and how its Power of One initiative in 2011 created 500 jobs. “This is the new ribbon cutting, growing from within,” Baillie said.

Doug Cone, president of Cone Distributing Inc., and Brian O’Connor, site director of Lockheed Martin Ocala Operations, spoke about the Chamber’s merger with the Economic Development Corporation. “We are uniquely positioned to be successful,” O’Connor said. And there will be help for small businesses. “We will be a one-stop shop,” he said. “We will have an advocate on staff to help,” Cone said. “The business community of Ocala/Marion County, we are going to take back our economy.”But he also asked for the business community’s engagement because “it will be the right thing to do.”

The 2011 Chamber Chairman Dave Fechtman emphasized the year’s work: the Chamber’s accreditation, the merger with the Economic Development Corporation, the establishment of the Community Foundation, and the opening of the Power Plant incubator for new businesses.

And then came the moment everyone waits for each year. Always the highlight of the evening, the awards, presented by Ocala Magazine, are given to individuals and businesses in recognition of their contributions to the community.

Fechtman presented the Chairman’s Award to Francine Johannesen for her years of commitment to the Chamber and its Board of Directors and Executive Committee, for leading membership development and retention, as well as, for restructuring the Ambassador Program.

HDG Hotels, formerly Hotel Development & Management Group, was named Business of the Year. Since 1981 when the Econo Lodge Motel — now the Howard Johnson Ocala — was purchased, HDG Hotels’ portfolio has grown to seven properties.

Small Business Person of the Year was awarded to Rondo Fernandez, owner of the Mojo Grill and Catering Company. Since opening the Mojo Grill in 2009, the company has continued to expand, with its largest growth occurring in 2011, when the number of employees grew from 15 to nearly 100.

The New Business of the Year award was given to Great American Coffee Roasters LLC. In spite of its ups and downs, this young company celebrated its first anniversary on Nov. 1 and, through the determination of its owners, brought freshly roasted coffee to Ocala.

Two organizations walked away with the Non-Profit Business of the Year award, Munroe Regional Medical Center and Heart of Florida Health Center.

La Cuisine French Restaurant, a business owned by Patrice Perron and Stephane Gattacieca, won the Minority Business of the Year Award.

The Walt Driggers Environmentalist of the Year Award went to the College of Central Florida.

The Business Advocate of the Year was awarded to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners.

Pamela Calero of the College of Central Florida Foundation was named the Emerging Leader of the Year.

The Innovator of the Year award was given to The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.

The Non-Profit Business Council’s Humanitarian of the Year award was given to Fran Marino-Farrell for her work and contributions on behalf of youth and animals.

The Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park was the winner of the Agriculture/Equine Business of the Year award.

The Exporter of the Year award was given to Pro Poly of America.

Two entities were winners of the Megawatt Award, the city of Ocala and Marion County Board of County Commissioners.

Ocala Magazine’s 2011 Person of the Year award was given to Whit Palmer in recognition of his many years of civic engagement and community service.

The Chamber also presented a Volunteer of the Year award to Ernie Clautier of Mail Sort Inc. to recognize his extensive work on behalf of the Chamber.

Ensuring Effective Training Material is Distributed

Some of the franchise industry’s high-achieving multiunit franchisees provide their views on current topics of the day.
QUESTION: Within your own multi-unit organization, how do you cascade training material from your franchisor to the unit-level management?

Azim Saju: “Trained unit-level management positively impacts revenues, expenses, guest satisfaction and market share. In the hotel industry, the franchisor provides training material in two primary forms: through brand performance consultants or BPCs which are individuals who visit the hotel and provide training opportunities directly to our management; and through educational seminars at meetings and conventions. Follow-up and engaged upper-level management/ownership are essential to cascading franchisor training material down to unit-level management.

One of the primary ways to cascade the franchisor’s training down to unit-level management is for the uppermanagement/ownership group to be engaged with their managers. Engaged ownership is very important in properly disseminating the training material our franchisor provides. This type of ownership creates an environment which fosters learning and partnerships with the brand. In particular, this means when our BPCs visit our hotel and provide training opportunities at the hotel level, we ask for written follow up from the BPC. After this follow up, we ask our management to engage the BPCs by informing the BPCs how they have executed on and benefited from the training. I prefer that the follow up is in writing via e-mail with a copy to me. This way I am also engaged in this process.

The other manner in which to cascade the training material down to management is through franchisorsponsored educational seminars and conventions. The benefit to this is that our management team views these events as a perk given that they get away from the hotel, usually travel to another state and get to see another part of the country. They get to do all of this while participating in the franchisor-sponsored learning events. My experience has been that they usually return to the hotel from such conventions not only having gained knowledge, but also recharged from having been away from the hotel and energized to share the knowledge they have gained with their team.
Regardless of the medium in which the franchisor communicates the training material, engaged upper-level management/ownership and follow up are keys to ensuring that the training material cascades down to unit-level management.”

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

International Franchise Association
January 2012
http://www.franchise.org

Franchise executives discuss innovative solutions to today’s business challenges.
By: Matt Haller

Franchise business executives and multi-unit franchisees from across the spectrum of the industry gathered Nov. 16-18 in Miami, Fla., for the International Franchise Association’s Franchise Executive Leadership Conference. The three-day conference included speakers and networking sessions geared to finding innovative solutions to today’s business challenges.

“With more than 30 years of experience owning and operating franchises, collaboration is a personal passion of mine,” said Lawrence “Doc” Cohen, CFE, president, Cookie Associates, and chairman of the Franchise Executive Leadership Conference. “I have seen what can be achieved when franchisors, franchisees and suppliers work together as a team and learn from each other–and the results are powerful.”

Executives Share Insights on Collaboration and Franchise Relations

Welcoming attendees to the conference, Jack Earle, managing director, Earle Enterprises LP (multi-unit McDonald’s franchisee) and IFA chairman of the board, introduced a panel session of franchisors and franchisees, who discussed how their franchise systems manage collaboration and communication to ensure success when implementing system-wide change.

The session featured Steve Joyce, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International and Azim F. Saju, vice president of operations, general counsel, Hotel Development & Management Group (multi-unit franchisee of Choice Hotels), who described their brand’s movement to an online reservation system and managing the competition for lower prices through such third-party sites as Orbitz and Travelocity. The panel also included Kat Cole, president of Cinnabon, FOCUS Brands, Inc. and Frank Ross Jr., Cinnabon franchisee of Albany, Ga., who talked about Cole’s focus on improving franchisee relations since taking the helm of Cinnabon and ensuring open lines of communications between her and the company’s franchisees. Politics, Credit Access and Seeking Solutions to Pressing Industry Issues

Attendees heard from distinguished Harvard Business School Professor Frances Frei. Her research, course development and teaching examine how organizations can more effectively design service excellence and she wowed attendees during her session about “Managing Service Operations.”

As a widely-respected and published author, Frei offered her principles of service excellence, including real-world examples from such companies as Walmart, Progressive, Yum! Brands and General Electric on how companies can better meet their customers’ needs. Frei also counseled attendees about how creating value from the customer’s viewpoint should include an understanding of how excellence is paid for, how employees are set up for success, and how customers are managed and trained.

The program connected attendees with political prognosticator Juan Williams, who spoke about the current Republican presidential primaries and the logjam and congressional gridlock currently taking shape in Washington, which has caused great uncertainty by franchise business leaders.

During the lunch session, attendees received an update from one of the most respected voices in journalism, Geoff Colvin of FORTUNE magazine. His presentation tackled the most pressing issues franchise leaders face, including the future of tax rates on small and large businesses and how Washington may move forward on those issues in the midst of the 2012 presidential election.

Jeff Rosensweig, associate professor of international business and finance, and director, global perspectives program, Emory University, provided attendees with how franchise businesses are positioning themselves amid the recovering economy, with a particular focus on the challenges posed by the ongoing credit access challenges facing franchising.

Attendees took advantage of a unique opportunity to participate in small discussion groups with other franchise leaders, focused on finding innovative solutions to some of the most pressing issues affecting franchised businesses all over the country. Sessions included:

• Creative Financing, facilitated by Bill Hall, CFE, CEO, William G. Hall & Co. (Dairy Queen multi-unit franchisee) and IFA Credit Access Task Force chairman;
• Private Equity for Multi-Unit Franchisees, facilitated by Steve Romaniello, CFE, managing director, Roark Capital Group;
• Health Care Solutions, facilitated by Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director, Center for Employment Policy and Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute;
• Growth Strategies (including integrating brands), facilitated by Aziz Hashim, president and CEO, NRD Holdings, LLC (multi-unit franchisee of Popeyes, Checkers/Rally’s Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., Subway and Moe’s Southwest Grill);
• Succession Planning/Exit Strategies, facilitated by Mike Bidwell, CFE, COO, The Dwyer Group;
• Compensation Issues for Key Executives, facilitated by Michael M. Isakson, president and COO, Service-Master Company; Benchmarking, facilitated by Kenneth D. Walker, CFE, chairman and CEO, Driven Brands, Inc.; and
• The Future of Franchise Development, facilitated by Shelly Sun, CFE, CEO and Co-Founder, BrightStar Franchising, LLC and IFA FranPAC President’s Council co-chairwoman.

 
Matt Haller is senior director of communications for the International Franchise Association. He can be reached at 202-662-0770 or mhaller@franchise.org.

A green, customer service-oriented approach to hotel development

Based out of Ocala, Florida, Hospitality Development Group has earned a strong reputation for
finding locations with high exposure, great access and long-term value, as well as developing
properties with hotels to maximize brand value.

“We really excel at developing limited service hotels without food and beverage in underserved
markets, as well as establishing optimal operations, revenue management, cost control and
leadership training for our team members,” says Navroz Saju, CEO and President.

Hospitality Management Group (HDG) has over 25 years of experience under its belt, using
that expertise to provide its clientele with a first-rate experience. The company has a hand in
nearly every aspect of the industry, including hospitality consulting, hotel yield management,
strategic business planning, financial analysis, consulting service acquisitions and dispositions
development.

“We like to look at secondary and sometimes even tertiary markets, where there is a lack of
quality product,” Saju says. “We mostly stay away from big cities or metropolitan areas because
there are demand generators within those small towns that are not being served because of
the products being very old. That is really our main criteria and how we go about acquiring our
product and our markets.”

The mission of HDG’s Hotels division is to find and develop sites that will maximize brand
value, and to follow through by operating them with highly trained and competent leaders. The
company carries out this task despite hurdles in the field.

“There are a lot of challenges involved in the work that we do,” Saju says. “In developing the
hotel, you borrow money that you are responsible to pay back for the next 25 to 30 years, so
there are big challenges to find the right architect, contractor or civil engineer, because you are
giving them your pocketbooks to spend.”

It is this level of financing that creates a challenge for HDG Hotels to not only acquire the right
contractors, but to purchase the right locations for development.

“This is not a home you buy in foreclosure at 40 cents per dollar,” Saju says. “You are borrowing
between $5 to 6 million, which means that you really have to execute everything meticulously
and without error, which can be a very difficult challenge.”

HDG currently manages seven hotels in Florida, six of which have been designated or are in
the process of being designated as green certified by the State of Florida, a practice that the
company hopes to continuously expand on in the future. Its hotels have also ranked within the
top 10 percent of its respective brands based on guest satisfaction surveys and brand standards
compliance.

“Green initiatives are very important to us,” Saju says. “They help create a consciousness of
saving, of non-wasting and a sensitivity to our environment, and ultimately it creates a great
benefit to both the environment and our bottom line.”

One such initiative is with the HDG Hotels Quality Inn in Titusville, located only a few minutes
from the NASA Shuttle Landing Facility and other Orlando, Florida attractions. The property had
been a foreclosure that the company took over only days prior to it being boarded up.

“Since acquiring the Titusville location, we have rented more then 7,000 hotel rooms, we
doubled our rev par index, have moved up in the brand ranking in quality from 1,000 to the
Top 200 and have put a team in place that really believes in the HDG culture,” Saju says. “This
project has really been a success story for us, taking a site that was days from being boarded
up and turning it into a property that is a leader within the market and within the brand.”

It is projects like these that won HDG Hotels the 2011 Minority Business of the Year Award,
which was presented by the Ocala Marion Country Chamber of Commerce and highlights the
company’s path to prominence, innovation and dedication to quality and service.

As of late, an increased demand in the hotel industry has spurred a great deal of competition
in the marketplace. However, HDG Hotels is prepared to face the challenges in front of it,
realizing that hotels need to prepare by looking forward at marketing strategies that reflect a full
understanding of market conditions. In this way, the company hopes to ensure that its hotels are
in tune with the times and meet the required level of operation and service that have become
such integral components of hotel management today.

“We continue to work on solidifying our company culture of being customer service-oriented and
to do whatever it takes to make our customers happy,” Saju says. “Maintaining our product is
very important to us and we continue to put procedures in place to ensure that our maintenance
is at the highest level.”

Since its inception, a conscious purpose to provide service through integrity has been at HDG
Hotels’ core. This is a mission that the company has stood by and continues to stand by as it
increases its presence in the Florida hospitality market.

Ocala, Fla. – Local hoteliers Jeff Bailey and Navroz Saju recently joined Marion County’s Tourist Development Council.

“Both men bring extensive travel and tourism experience to the TDC,” said Ann Sternal, Executive Director of the Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Convention Bureau. “The VCB team and everyone on the Tourist Development Council looks forward to serving our community with them.”

Jeff Bailey is the new General Manager of the Hilton Ocala. With more than 25 years in the hospitality industry, he has held the position of General Manager at hotels in Texas, Nebraska and Missouri. He also served on the Visitor Improvement Council of Douglas County (Omaha), where he helped pass legislation providing a general fund allocation to tourism for the first time in more than 20 years in Nebraska.

Navroz Saju is President and CEO of HDG Hotels, which manages seven properties in North Central Florida. HDG Hotels in Marion County include the Howard Johnson Inn, Sleep Inn and Suites, and Holiday Inn Express Silver Springs. He is Co-Chair of the Wyndham Worldwide Green Committee, a Certified Hotel Administrator of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and active in other industry associations and committees.

The TDC was created in 2004, when a county ordinance established a two percent “bed tax” on transient accommodations to support and grow the local tourism industry. The Marion County Board of County Commissioners formed the nine-member volunteer TDC to oversee the application of these funds to attract leisure, group and business travel to the community.

The Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Convention Bureau functions as the TDC’s operational arm. Attending trade shows and sales conferences, working with community groups, responding to visitor and group-travel inquiries are some of the VCB’s key day-to-day functions.

By: Navroz F. Saju
Special to the Star Banner

The following is a letter sent by the author to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners. It has been edited for length.

The first time I experienced the World Famous Silver Springs Attraction was in 1977. My parents had brought us during our February winter vacation to visit Disney World. In 1977, a vacation trip to Florida would not be complete without a visit to the world’s largest artesian fresh water springs — Silver Springs. Despite my brother and me being 5 and 8, respectively, we fondly recall the area filled with economic vitality.

The many small, successful businesses in the area coupled with the Florida sunshine made us feel that we were in a special area. As we entered the park, I remember my parents having to park in the back lot because the front lots were full, unlike today. The park inside was full of people and energy. I clearly remember everyone on our glass-bottom boat being in awe at witnessing 550,000 gallons of 99.8 percent pure fresh water being discharged daily from the Floridan aquifer.

Fast forwarding to the present, the area surrounding the “World Famous” Silver Springs Attraction is completely different. Ironically, the center of economic activity in this very unique eco-area revolves around the big box stores. The area’s state of disrepair coupled with the many struggling small businesses has resulted in many classifying this once robust area as “blighted.”

Many of the out-of-town guests staying at our Holiday Inn Express and Suites frequently comment on the park’s state of disrepair. As these unhappy visitors to Marion County leave our hotel, they bid farewell by a storefront of boarded stores.
One of our hotel guests even once commented as to “why would Holiday Inn put a new hotel out here?”

The reason Holiday Inn would build a new hotel “out here” is because our Silver Springs Attraction has been classified by ecotourism experts as being a national eco-treasure of the same magnitude as Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon. Furthermore, our Silver Springs Attraction borders the largest national forest East of the Mississippi. Within this area there are picturesque walking trails, freshwater springs, lakes, campgrounds, hunting areas and bird watching venues.

We all agree that the status quo is unacceptable. We all also agree that the park is both a tremendous natural resource and can be a source of economic growth. The issue is how we can expeditiously transition from the status quo in a manner that both protects this natural resource while reviving the economic engine that is Silver Springs.

I have attended the most recent Board of County Commissioners meeting discussing the park’s future as well as reached out to those within our community to discuss the park’s future. Based on these conversations, Marion County’s Eco-Tourism Entrepreneurial Initiative, partnered with the Silver Springs CRA Development Initiative, could be a very positive economic game changer for the area. The reasons follow:

It would address the significant disrepair and deterioration at the Silver Springs Attraction and put a plan in place for much-needed repairs and corrections of building code violations. Currently, no such plan exists.

The longer the county waits to assume the park, the further the park deteriorates, thus, increasing the costs to the taxpayers in rehabilitating the park. In other words, time is of the essence.

It would restore the Silver Springs Attraction park to its true intent of being a world-class ecotourism venue where out-of-town visitors can ride the world-famous glass-bottom boats, swim, canoe, kayak, scuba and snorkel in the springs.

This would potentially create a niche entertainment market for Silver Springs so that it would not be directly competing with major attractions such as Disney World and Busch Gardens.

It could provide public partnership with institutions of higher learning where the springs can be studied and provide entrepreneurial opportunities for food vendors and ecotourism activity vendors.

Based on Marion County studies, transforming Silver Springs to anchor a unique “outdoor adventure” venue would create 500 jobs in a county that has an unemployment rate of more than 14 percent.

The current operator of Silver Springs Attraction does not want to be the caretaker of our county’s most valuable asset. Consequently, our community doing nothing is not an option because all sides on this issue agree that the current model is in rapid decline and not sustainable.

Hence, the County Commission’s Eco-Tourism Entrepreneurial Initiative, partnered with the Silver Springs CRA Development Initiative, would be the economic game changer that the Silver Springs area desperately needs. The only businesses in the Silver Springs area with the full parking lots are the big box stores. Most of the small businesses struggle, while Marion County’s most valuable asset, Silver Springs, continues to deteriorate.

In the hotel industry, it is stated that 80 percent of your future business can be found from your hotel’s own backyard within your existing customers. Similarly, Silver Springs Attraction can be the major job creator that many of our local leaders continue to look outside Marion County for. A strong argument can be made that a significant ingredient in Marion County’s future revitalization can be found in its own backyard — Silver Springs.

Navroz F. Saju is CEO of HDG Hotels, an Ocala-based hotel chain. The Hotel Development and Management Group this week was honored as the Ocala/Marion Chamber of Commerce’s minority business of the year.