Hotel OnlineSpecial Report
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The 444 Room Wilson World Hotel near Disney World 
Flagged as Red Roof Inn - Resort at Maingate
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 28, 1998 -  Red Roof Inns, Inc. (NYSE: RRI) and Diplomat Hotel Corporation have signed a franchise agreement to convert the former 444-room Wilson World Hotel to the Red Roof Inn - Resort at Maingate. Located in Kissimmee, Fla., at the entrance to Walt Disney World, this interior corridor hotel features both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a jacuzzi, food service facilities and amenity packages designed for guests visiting Orlando-area attractions. The hotel is currently undergoing a complete renovation and refurbishing which is anticipated to exceed $2 million. 

"Our acquisition of this hotel is a milestone achievement for Diplomat Hotels," said R.C. Patel, chief executive officer of Diplomat. "This will be the flagship property of our portfolio. We look forward to very favorable operating results with the Red Roof brand." 

"Diplomat has been a superb franchise partner," said Francis W. "Butch" Cash, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Red Roof Inns. "The substantial investment being made in this property by Diplomat will provide Red Roof guests the quality, service and superb value they expect from Red Roof Inns." 

Diplomat, based in Atlanta, owns or manages 14 hotels under various franchises. The Kissimmee location will be the third franchised location bearing the Red Roof flag. "Diplomat Hotels exemplifies the standards and values representative of the Red Roof system," said Alan Tallis, executive vice president-development of Red Roof Inns. 

"We are honored that Diplomat has chosen Red Roof as the brand which will represent its flagship property." Red Roof Inns, Inc. (NYSE: RRI) is one of the leading economy chains in the United States. With more than 280 properties and over 33,000 rooms in 36 states and the District of Columbia, Red Roof Inns offers business and leisure travelers exceptional value in price, quality and convenience. With one of the highest system-wide occupancy rates in the industry, Red Roof Inns is expanding its operations through franchising, strategic partnerships and developing company owned inns in unique, high visibility areas.
 
 

About Diplomat Hotel Corporation
The Diplomat Hotel Corporation, located in Atlanta, GA, was founded jointly in 1981 by a former soccer star from England who played for the Atlanta Chiefs, Mike Patel, and his brother, R.C. Patel. The company's objective is to be one of the largest hotel franchisees in the U.S. within the next five years. 

The company plans to achieve that aggressive goal by acquiring and managing quality hotels. They currently own 11 hotels in the southeast, including 8 properties in the Atlanta area. The Diplomat Hotel Corp.'s business strategy is simple: 

"To acquire, own, manage and rehabilitate distressed hotel properties, and assure strong, "hands-on" management by acquiring properties that are no more than 2 hours driving time from each other." 

This is the strategy that has proven successful in the company's growth up to the present, and one which will continue to be implemented well into the future. 

Considering the Patel family's long history in the hospitality industry (Mike and R.C.'s parents owned and operated a hotel in Kensington, an affluent area of London, as well as numerous Bed & Breakfast properties), it is not surprising that the two brothers would find their opportunity in the hospitality business. Mike and R.C. Patel bought their first property in 1981, the Holiday Inn in Pell City, Alabama. The rest is history. 

R.C. Patel is the CEO and Chairman of the Board. He is 38 years old and resides with his wife and three children in Duluth, Georgia. Mike Patel is the company's president, and currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA). Mike is 36 years old, married and lives in Decatur, Georgia with his wife and their two children.

 
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Contact:
Mari Jazyk 
of Red Roof Inns
614-876-3234
or R.C. Patel 
of Diplomat Hotel Corporation,
770-938-2060 
 
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Also See:
David L. Rea Appointed CFO at Red Roof Inns / Oct 1998 
Red Roof Inns Implements High - Tech Revenue Management System / June 1998 
Red Roof Inns Sells Atlanta Airport Inn To Diplomat Hotels / May 1998

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