Incorporating new technology and brand performance were key conference topics, with a focus on the five points of the �Candlewood Star��sales, brand, team, yield and profit. The team also welcomed the first Cambridge Suites franchisee to the conference. 

�Our Value Partners had another fantastic year,� says Jim Roos, Candlewood Hotel Co. COO and president. �We continue to look to our franchisees for new insights on improving our pure, value-based brand.� 

Roos and other Candlewood officers, including Jack DeBoer, founder, CEO and chairman, led discussions about technology, quality assurance, industry trends and hotel team training. 

Value Partner award winners for 2000 included: 

Cook Properties: Louisville-Airport Candlewood Suites, Louisville, Ky.�system-wide quality assurance �top ten� winner and fastest ramp-up for 1999-2000 for a value partner hotel.  

Tramz Hotels: Syracuse Candlewood Suites, Syracuse, N.Y.�system-wide quality assurance �top ten� winner.

Windsor Residential Companies: Dallas-Market Center Candlewood Suites�value partner highest revenue per available room (RevPAR) index.

Larkspur Hospitality: Portland-Hillsboro Candlewood Suites, Hillsboro, Ore.�runner-up for value partner highest RevPAR index.

Windsor Residential Companies: San Antonio Candlewood Suites�value partner greatest RevPAR index increase.

Larkspur Hospitality: Seattle-Bellevue Candlewood Suites, Bellevue, Wash.�runner up for value partner greatest RevPAR index increase.

The Generation Companies: Richmond-West Candlewood Suites, Richmond, Va.�runner-up for fastest 1999-2000 value partner hotel ramp-up. 

Candlewood Hotel Co. (Nasdaq:CNDL - news) owns, operates and franchises Candlewood Suites, which targets mid-market business travelers and others on short- or long-term stays. Candlewood has also recently begun franchising its upscale brand, Cambridge Suites. 

Chairman and CEO Jack DeBoer, who founded Residence Inn and co-founded Summerfield Suites in the 1970s and 1980s, founded Candlewood in 1995 and Cambridge Suites in 1998. He is recognized in the hotel industry as the creator of the extended-stay concept. There are currently 86 Candlewood Suites open coast to coast, with more under construction.