PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Sept. 26, 2003) � Cendant Corporation�s Hotel Group today announced the appointment of Rajiv Bhatia as president of Knights Franchise Systems, an economy lodging chain, and Villager Franchise Systems, the company�s extended-stay chain. Bhatia, who previously headed the Hotel Group�s worldwide master franchising efforts, served in its International department since 1996, providing master franchisees with marketing, operational

Rajiv Bhatia

�Rajiv appreciates the day-to-day challenges of operating a hotel and has demonstrated great skill in supporting our franchisees,� said Bob Weller, group president of Cendant�s Hotel Group.  �By virtue of his diverse background, Rajiv identifies personally with the challenges facing our franchisees.   His empathy and unique insights will be invaluable.�

Weller added that Bhatia will �call on his strong property-level experience� in pursuing his goals.  Prior to joining Cendant, Bhatia was general manager of a Howard Johnson hotel in New York City from 1991 to 1994.  From 1989 to 1991, he was deputy manager of the Kovalam Ashok Beach Resort in Kerala, India.  He taught French at the Alliance Francaise in Kerala, India, from 1988 to 1989.  He was the resident manager of the Shivniwas Palace in Rajasthan, India, from 1986 to 1987 and senior lobby manager at the Hyatt Regency Delhi in New Delhi, India, from 1985 to 1986.  He also worked as the duty manager for the Gresham Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, from 1983 to 1985.

In 1980, Bhatia received a bachelor of commerce degree from Delhi University in New Delhi, India.  He received a diploma in the French language from the Alliance Francaise de Dublin in Dublin, Ireland, in 1983.  In 1985, he earned a bachelor�s degree in hotel and catering management from the Dublin College of Catering in Dublin, Ireland, and a bachelor�s degree in management from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.  He is fluent in French, Hindi and Punjabi. 

Bhatia is a certified hotel administrator in the United States and a fellow of the Hotel Catering International Management Association in the United Kingdom.

There are 206 Knights Inn hotels in the United States and Canada and 76 Villager properties in the United States, Canada and Mexico.  Cendant Corporation�s Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, N.J., is the world�s largest lodging franchisor with 6,446 open hotels representing 526,045 rooms on five continents under the Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Travelodge®, Howard Johnson®, Knights Inn®, Villager, Wingate Inn® and AmeriHost Inn® brands.  Cendant�s franchised hotels sell one out of every four economy and midpriced room-nights in the United States, and Cendant franchises 11.8 percent of the entire U.S. hotel room supply, according to Smith Travel Research.  All hotels are individually owned and operated under franchise agreements with Cendant subsidiaries.