Rodeway Inn is a chain of
hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
s 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 ...
. 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 approximately 33,107 rooms across the continent.
Each hotel is a franchise, owned and managed by a separate investor.
History
The chain was established in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, in 1962. Michael Robinson and his son-in-law Joe Simmons opened the chain under the name Rodeway Inns of America.
In 1971, the Vantage Company of
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, acquired the hotel chain.
Prudential Life Insurance partnered with Rodeway Inns to finance the company-owned inns with the goal of becoming a franchise. In 1976, the company began focusing exclusively on franchising. In 1985,
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes Coral is a British gambling company. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. The Ladbrokes portion of the group was established in 1886, and Coral in 1926. In November 2016, th ...
purchased the brand, and two years later sold the chain to
Ramada
Ramada is a large American multinational hotel chain owned by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. As of December 31, 2022, it operates 851 hotels with 120,344 rooms across 63 countries under the Ramada brand.
Name
The ''Ramada'' name derives from th ...
.
In 1990, the brand became a part of the Choice Hotels corporate group, along with Friendship Inn and
Econo Lodge. The
Friendship Inn chain was absorbed by the Rodeway Inn and Econo Lodge brands at this time.
In 2005, Rodeway Inn, led by Division President Kevin Bradt, reorganized its franchise structure to attract franchisees to the hotel chain. In 2007, Rodeway Inn was named the fastest growing chain in the hotel industry by ''Lodging Magazine''. As of 2018, Rodeway Inn is still a part of Choice Hotels International.
Franchise fee
From 1990 to 2005, the franchise fee was structured as a revenue percentage; after that it was an annual fee per room.
It costs approximately $500,000 in liquid capital to invest in a Rodeway Inn franchise.
As of 2018, the franchise has a revenue percentage fee structure, similar to its sister brand, Econo Lodge.
See also
*
List of hotels
*
Choice Hotels
References
External links
*
{{Hotel chains
Hotels established in 1962
Hotel chains in the United States
Choice Hotels brands
Franchises
History of Phoenix, Arizona
History of Dallas
Motels in Canada
Motels in the United States
1962 establishments in Arizona
American companies established in 1962