Econo Lodge is an economy

motel A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionarie ...

chain based in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. Econo Lodge is one of the larger brands in the

Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. is an American multinational hospitality company based in Rockville, Maryland. The company, which is one of the largest hotel chains in the world, owns several hotel brands ranging from upscale to economy. As o ...

system. It aims to provide affordable rooms to budget travelers. The properties contain a minimum of 40 guest rooms and are often located near highways or highway access. All hotels provide a free breakfast. , there are 779 Econo Lodge hotels open with 46,992 rooms. There are Econo Lodge motels in every US state and Canadian province.

History

The company began in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia B ...

by developer Vernon Myers and his son, Vernon Jr. in 1969 as Econo-Travel and they were joined by Lloyd , a local businessman. took on the project, finding investors and money, as well as doing extensive

market research Market research is an organized effort to gather information about target markets and customers: know about them, starting with who they are. It is an important component of business strategy and a major factor in maintaining competitiveness. Ma ...

, to see if the concept would work. The chain's

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as ...

in the early days was "Sandy", a girl in a short Scotch skirt and tam. The first hotel, still operating at 865 North Military Highway in Norfolk, was built for $275,000. Its daily rate for rooms was $7 single, $9 double, and $11 for four. sold the chain, which had 306 locations, in 1983 for $836 million. He had begun to change the name on all locations to Econo Lodge in the latter 1970s. The brand went through ups and downs and a number of owners after the founders sold out. It fell into the hands of investor Paul Wallace, whose fund bought the brand, refurbished it, mended relations with franchisees, and then sold it to what is now

International in 1990. It is the more upscale of the group's economy brands; its sister brand,

Rodeway Inn Rodeway Inn is a chain of economy-priced hotels in the United States and Canada. Founded by Michael Robinson in 1962, the franchise is now led by Choice Hotels corporation. As of June 30, 2020, there are 578 Rodeway Inn locations in North Amer ...

, usually has fewer amenities.

References

External links

*
Econo-Travel Motor Hotel Directory – Fall, Winter 1974/1975
{{Hotel chains Motels in the United States Motels in Canada Companies based in Norfolk, Virginia Hotels established in 1969 Choice Hotels brands American companies established in 1969 1969 establishments in Virginia

History

See also

References

External links