Mercury Hotels International Creates a Membership Model, Rather than a Franchisee/franchisor Model for its Four Hotel Brands; Cloud 9 Inn, Mercury Inn & Suites, Mercury Grand, and Mercury Hotels & Resorts / June 2009

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.Mercury Hotels International Creates a Membership Model, Rather than a Franchisee/franchisor
Model for its Four Hotel Brands; Cloud 9 Inn, Mercury Inn & Suites, Mercury Grand,
and Mercury Hotels & Resorts

WOODBRIDGE, N.J., June 2, 2009 - Mercury Hotels International, a hospitality company based in Woodbridge, New Jersey, has announced its launch of four new hotel brands. The brands are; Cloud 9 Inn (an economy brand), Mercury Inn & Suites (a midscale brand), Mercury Grand (an upscale brand), and Mercury Hotels & Resorts (a five star luxury lifestyle brand). The four brands were officially unveiled on April 24, 2009 at the Gaylord Hotel in Washington, DC.

Since launching the brands, Mercury Hotels has already converted some properties and has many others in the pipeline. Jeffrey Obomeghie, the CEO of Mercury Hotels International, stated, "The brands are generating tremendous excitement among hotel owners. They will radicalize the hotel landscape. We are doing conversions as well as new construction."

Mr. Obomeghie estimates that the company will have nearly 200 properties under its various flags by the end of 2010. The company's five-star luxury brand, Mercury Hotels and Resorts, is a high barrier to entry brand that is open to only hotel developers with a strong track record backed by solid institutional funding. The brand was conceived as a luxury lifestyle alternative to brands such as the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula Hotels, and Relais and Chateaux. Mercury Hotels' development target is to open no more than five of these luxury properties each year in the US, Europe, and Asia.

The company states that affiliation with any of its brands is based on a membership model, rather than the traditional franchisee/franchisor relationship operated by many other brands. Mercury Hotels offers competitive application fees, flat monthly membership fees, an easy exit strategy, and a seamless conversion process.

Mercury Hotels International four new hotel brands

Cloud 9 Inn

Economy and Upper Economy brand
25 to 75 keys
Highway or roadside visibility
Competition: Super 8, Motel 6, Knights Inn, Days Inn, Quality Inn, Ramada
Application Fee: $5,000
Monthly membership fee - Flat fee of $20 per room
No marketing, royalty or reservation fees.
Annual contract, cancellable with 90 day notice or 30 days notice upon sale

Mercury Inn & Suites

Midscale and upper midscale brand
75 to 125 keys
Locations: City Centers, Suburbs & Airports
Target: Corporate and Leisure travelers
Offering: free continental breakfast, high speed internet access, and Business Center
Competition: Hampton Inn & Suites, Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn & Suites, Marriott Courtyard, Residence Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Springhill Suites
Application fee: $25,000
Monthly membership fee - Flat fee of $40 per room
No marketing, royalty or reservation fees
Annual contract, cancellable with 90 day notice or 30 days upon sale

Mercury Grand

125-200 keys
Three star properties
Full Service
At least 5,000 sq ft of meeting space
Locations: City Center, Suburbs, historic or cultural centers preferable
Application Fee: $35,000
Monthly membership fee - $50 per room
No marketing, royalty or reservations fees
Annual Contracts, cancellable with 90 day notice or 30 day notice upon sale

Mercury Hotels & Resorts

Upper, upscale hotels in gateway North American cities, the Carribbean, Europe & Asia
Four/Five Stars
200+ keys
Strong demand markets with ability to support $1,000 nightly rate.
Strong F&B Meeting Space
Spa facilities desirable
Fine dining restaurant, Chef with international experience, possibly a Michelin star rating
Locations: vibrant urban, suburban, markets and tourist destinations
Target: Leisure and Corporate markets
Highly trained management teams with multi-lingual staff
Application fee: $250,000
Monthly membership fee: $10,000
No marketing, royalty or reservations fees
Five year membership contract, with three year exit window

According to Bradley Zimmer, Executive Vice President, "We are accepting applications from hotel owners looking to join the Mercury Hotels International family. We have made the process fairly painless for them.

Prior to founding the company, the principals of Mercury Hotels International worked in a variety of property and corporate positions including CEO, COO, and Senior Vice President for various hospitality companies including a hotel REIT. In those positions, they oversaw various hotel brands including Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, IHG, and Radisson, among others.

Contact:

Mercury Hotels International
300 Kimball Street, Suite 104
Woodbridge, NJ. 07095
Tel: 973.399.1920
http://www.mercuryhotelsinternational.com

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Also See:

Hotel Brand Impact: Can Hotel Franchisors Compete With Their Own Franchisees? Hotel Owners & Law Firms Look to Impact Consultants for Scientific Approach to Determining Damages / Jeff Coy

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