Econo Lodge is a budget

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 lot, parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central Lobby (room), lo ...

chain based in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and one of the larger subsidiaries of

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

. 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 759 Econo Lodge hotels open with 44,697 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 (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

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. It involves understanding who they are and what they need. It is an important component of business strategy and a major factor in maintaining com ...

, 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, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

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 was eventually acquired by a fund advised by investor Paul Wallace, who 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 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 America, with appro ...

, 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 Franchises Hotels established in 1969 Choice Hotels brands American companies established in 1969 1969 establishments in Virginia

History

See also

References

External links