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the �12 Points Of Fair Franchising� Randolph, N.J. � June 15, 2004 �Naresh �Nash� Patel, Chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn., announced that Steven J. Belmonte, Founder, President and C.E.O. of Hospitality Solutions LLC, and former President and CEO of Ramada Franchise Systems, has joined the group�s Industry Relations Committee.
Hospitality Solutions LLC provides franchise agreement formulations and termination/liquidated damage claim negotiation assistance, mediation, consulting, litigation support and expert witness services to the hospitality industry. Patel said AAHOA members have come to rely on Steve to mediate their disputes, mend fences and build better franchise relationships. �It�s an honor to be chosen to be a part of this prestigious group,� Belmonte said. �I commended AAHOA back in 1999 for its focus on franchising under the leadership of Mike Patel of Diplomat Hotels, and I�m thrilled to be able to play a role in revising those points to reflect the needs of franchisees today. �The franchisor/franchisee relationship is truly the ultimate in power sharing,� he said. �We on this committee do not have �trashing sessions� about unreasonable or unresponsive franchisors. We are not here to �howl at the moon.� This is about owners and how to get the very most--the highest return on investment--from the fees that franchisees are paying every month. It�s important for all franchisees to recognize that all franchise companies are not all the same. However, there should always be a way to structure a franchise agreement that is equitable for both entities. If implemented correctly, there are ways to maximize the benefits provided by the franchise company to help increase guest satisfaction and improve overall asset performance.� Members of the 2004/2005 AAHOA Industry Relations Committee include: Nash Patel, Lodging Hospitality Companies; Mike Patel, Diplomat Hotels; Jay Patel, Lodging Hospitality Companies; M.P. Rama, JHM Hotels; Mukesh Mowji, Logic Vision; Anil Patel, Northstar Hotels; Ravi Patel, Shree Hospitality; Fred Schwartz, AAHOA; Stanley Turkel, hotel consultant; and Steven Belmonte, Hospitality Solutions LLC. Focus for the future Patel said that in addition to updating the �12 Points Of Fair Franchising,� the Industry Relations Committee is putting together a report card designed to identify which brands are endorsing these standards and how many they are utilizing. The purpose is to determine if 12 points are too many or if new points need to be added or changed since they were first identified five years ago. The findings of the report card will be announced August 14th at the AAHOA Elections Conference in New Orleans or soon after, he said. Patel said the Industry Relations Committee also has engaged a �Best Practices� study to be conducted by Cornell University designed to better understand the franchisor/franchisee relationship. Those interested in participating in the study should visit the Cornell Web site at www.cornell.edu. �The 2004-2005 Industry Relations Committee certainly has its hands full,� Patel said. �We are excited about the new information that we will uncover and will rely on the franchise analysts, such as Steve Belmonte and others, to guide us to do what is best for our members.� About Hospitality Solutions LLC Hospitality Solutions LLC, Randolph, N.J., provides franchise agreement formulations and termination negotiation assistance, mediation, consulting, litigation support and expert witness services to the hospitality and service industries. Company President and CEO Steven Belmonte, former President and CEO of Ramada Hotels, also served as Chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Assn.�s Educational Foundation, serves on the Board of Directors of Arlington Hospitality Inc. and serves as a partner with Belmonte/Lasky Asset Management Inc. For more information, call (973) 598-0839, email [email protected] or visit www.stevenbelmonte.com. |
