By Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC
June 2007
1. How American-Owned Can You Get?
Shilo Inns generously makes donations to private and public schools
and prides itself in being committed to its communities. With this
admirable attitude toward its fellow citizens, how can it be so wrong-headed
in its advertising slogan, �American Owned and Proud of It�? Does
Shilo require a loyalty oath from its employees, franchisees or guests?
Or is Shilo warning guests that some competing motor inns may be owned
by immigrants? What Shilo doesn�t say is that their logo is a blatant
attempt to define �American Owned� in its own image. After all, except
for native Americans, we are all immigrants to the United States.
True patriotism emcompasses the very best of America which is reflected
in its diversity and its multi-ethnic population.
2. The Indispensable CapEx 2007 Report is Available
It has been seven years since the International Society of Hospitality
Consultants (ISHC) updated its ground-breaking study of capital expenditures
in the hotel industry. The purpose of CapEx 2007 is to broaden the
amount of information available on the subject of hotel capital expenditures
so that you can make informed decisions on hotel capital expenditures.
CapEx 2007 is available for $99.95 for AH&LA members and $149.95 for
non-members. To order call 800-752-4567 or 517-372-8800 (outside
the U.S. and Canada, call 407-999-8100) or visit www.ei-ahla.org.
3. The Bowery Hotel: Skid Row on Easy Street From a review
in the New York Times on 4/1/07 by Denny Lee:
 Basics
The Bowery is no stranger to hotels, except, of course, they were called
flop-houses. For several bucks, you once got a wooden cell with a
bug-infested bed, bare build and chicken wire ceiling. So it�s no
surprise that some New Yorkers find the opulent 17-story Bowery Hotel a
bit galling. The latest venture from Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson,
who created the Maritime Hotel and numerous boites, the hotel evokes the
Gilded Age of red waist-coats, hand-set bricks and wood-paneled elevators.
The Scene
The handsome lobby, a dark and moody space, feels like an Old World
drawing room, with faded tapestries, Moroccan tiles and iron lamps.
The hotel was having a soft-opening in mid-March, but that didn�t stop
a parade of stylehounds from holding court on the tasseled sofas: decorators
with Prada man-bags, svelte Italians in fur, Wall Streeters on Blackberries
and emo gays in hoodies and skinny jeans.
The Rooms
Compact but loftlike, thanks to a factory-style window from the hardwood
floor to the beaded-board ceiling. From my 11th-floor perch, the
East Village looked like a dim valley of grimy walkups, while Midtown glittered
like a glassy city on a hill. The room was graceful without being
dainty, with décor that suggested Restoration Hardware with a boho-chic
twist, accordion brass lamps, old Oriental rugs, sturdy wood tables and
hunter-green velvet chairs. There were some nice custom touches-
cast-iron stars on a wall, a recessed headboard- but not everything fit.
The TV dangled over the side table, there was no dresser, and the foot-wide
closet was smaller than some flophouse lockers.
The Bathroom
Reminiscent of a prewar bathhouse, with old marble floor slabs, white
subway tiles and antique brass fixtures. Much to my disappointment,
there was no tub, but the large, glass-walled stall and rain-forest shower
head felt just as decadent. Thick terry bathrobes and minty toiletries
from C.O. Bigelow, the Greenwich Village apothecary, completed the old-school
look.
Amenities
Lots of high-tech toys (iPod-powered stereo, flat screen TV, DVD player
and free WiFi), but other perks were notably absent. There is no
gym, no spa, not even an outdoor pool. On the other hand, there are
plenty of places to drink and party. The sprawling second floor is
being carved into cocktail lounges, red-brick terraces and V.I.P. rooms.
Room Service
The restaurant, Gemma, had yet to open, so room service was limited.
Still, the staff was prompt, well groomed and friendly. Breakfast-
a tasty spinach frittata and coffee for a reasonable $15- arrived just
14 minutes after the order was placed. A broken remote control was
quickly replaced. A bucket of ice appeared in under three minutes;
the morning paper, even sooner. No word yet, however, on whether
the concierge can score reservations for the Waverly Inn, the exclusive
restaurant lorded over by the Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, in which
Mr. Goode and Mr. MacPherson are partners.
BottomLine
Skid Row on Easy Street. The hotel has 135 rooms. Lower
�review prices� are being offered; a standard queen will eventually start
at $450, and suites, some with private terraces, hot tubs and outdoor showers,
will be considerably more. Bowery Hotel, 335 Bowery (at East Third
Street), New York City, (212)505-9100, www.theboweryhotel.com.
4. By the Numbers.
According to Smith Travel Research, the United States has the following:
Total number of hotels: 48,986
Number of guestrooms: 4,490,174
Total number of franchised hotels: 19,208
Number of franchised guestrooms: 1,894,960
Percent of total guestrooms that are franchised: 42%
5. Quote of the Month
�Age is only a number, a cipher for the records. A man
can�t retire his experience. He must use it.�
Bernard M. Baruch
Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC operates his hotel consulting office
as a sole practitioner specializing in franchising issues, asset management
and litigation support services. Turkel�s clients are hotel owners
and franchisees, investors and lending institutions. Turkel serves on the
Board of Advisors at the NYU Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and
Sports Management. He is a member of the prestigious International
Society of Hospitality Consultants. His provocative articles on various
hotel subjects have been published in the Cornell Quarterly, Lodging Hospitality,
Hotel Interactive, Hotel Online, AAHOA Lodging Business, Bottomline, New
York Times, etc. If you need help with a hotel operations or franchising
problem such as encroachment/impact, termination/liquidated damages or
litigation support, don�t hesitate to call 917-628-8549 or email [email protected].
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