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CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 10, 2010)—In
a strategic move designed to take the Lexington Collection of hotels,
plaza hotels, boutique hotels, and resorts to the next level, Vantage
Hospitality Group Inc., announced that Bill Hanley will now serve as the managing director of the membership brand that serves the upper-mid and upscale lodging segments.
“Even though the Lexington Collection was only launched a little over
two years ago, things have changed drastically in our industry during
that short period of time,” Hanley said. “Due to the recent economic
crisis, the lodging industry has been forever changed and hotel owners
are taking a very close look at their bottom lines to ensure they are
making decisions that will provide them with a better return on their
investments. While other hotel chains are stumbling, this is the
perfect opportunity for the Lexington Collection to rise to the
forefront because we can offer hotel owners much lower fees without
lowering their revenue expectations.”
The Lexington Collection was launched in late 2007 and has since added
18 properties to its system. Most are located throughout the U.S., and
two are located in China, including the Lexington Shenyang Rich Gate
Hotel, which is the largest hotel in the region with 622 rooms.
Utilizing Vantage’s successful Freestyle Brand Affiliation Model,
members of the Lexington Collection choose between low, flat, monthly
fees or three percent royalties (the lowest in the industry); choose
the amenities, services, and brand standards that best fit their
individual market niches; are active participants in the brand through
a voice and a vote in all major brand initiatives; have the choice to
keep their current identity or choose a Lexington designation; and have
access to the most comprehensive revenue-generating resources in the
industry through the support of Vantage Hospitality, the 10th largest
hotel company in the world.
“This is a natural fit,” said Roger Bloss, CEO, president, and founder
of Vantage Hospitality. “Between Bill’s extensive hospitality
background and his position as partner and managing director of
international development for Vantage, nobody understands the lodging
industry better than him; but more importantly, he understands why
Vantage and its Lexington Collection brand are different from other
large hotel chains.”
Before coming to Vantage, Hanley was the managing director of the
International Hotel Division and senior vice president of Cendant
Corporation, during which he developed and managed franchised brands in
more than 20 countries, including India, China, Italy, Morocco, Malta,
the United Kingdom, and other parts of Europe, and directed Cendant’s
international operations on four continents. Hanley has also served in
executive positions for several hotel groups, including Radisson Hotels
International, Trust House Forte/Forte Hotels, ITT Sheraton, and as
executive vice president for the American Hotel & Lodging
Association.
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