Country Inns & Suites By Carlson

2) What market segment you are targeting? What types of guests do you want to attract?

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson (CI&S) serves the mid-scale market, featuring friendly service that treats guests like family, offering business and leisure clients amenities such as an expansive complimentary hot breakfast, Internet access, morning newspaper, fitness room, business center and a lending library. Our hotels are designed to meet the needs of both leisure and business travelers. Often travelers who have visited one of our more than 490 locations worldwide on business later return on vacation to enjoy the family friendly amenities and atmosphere.

3) As most of our readers are hotel owners, what are the benefits for our readers to select your brand for their next hotel?

For over 20 years, CI&S has grown its portfolio in the U.S., Canada, India and Latin America by focusing on staying relevant to our guests while enhancing our systems to maximize our franchisees’ return on investment. CI&S has developed a system that offers owners innovative designs in architecture and interior décor, strong operational support by an experienced field team that is focused on helping CI&S operators succeed, and excellent sales and marketing support, including the industry leading look to book travel agent loyalty program and the goldpoints plus(sm) guest loyalty program. Our guests consistently recognize the CI&S brand for its high quality accommodations and service culture as true differentiators. We are also very proud of the many CI&S franchisees that have chosen to build multiple CI&S properties over the years. That is the best evidence that CI&S has found an enduring formula that works well for its guests and developers.

4) In which geographical segment do you want to set-up franchises? Do you have a focus on any specific state or destination?

The main development focus for CI&S over the next years is the continued expansion of our brand footprint in North America.

5) Can you share some stories of success and failures of your franchises?

I think the best way to respond to this question is by describing learning that we have had over the years. CI&S has always been a brand with a reputation for strong relationships with its franchisees. CI&S has accomplished this by listening closely to franchisee feedback. A good example that comes to mind on this is related to our need to stay relevant in the marketplace. Our franchisees and our consumer feedback both signaled the need to refresh the look and feel of CI&S hotels through a more upscale looking décor with an updated transitional style. The result has been the new architectural prototype and new guest room and public area décor packages that have received very positive feedback from our guests.

6) Do you have any structure or system for franchises to participate in the policy making process of the brand? For example, Econo Lodge as Econo Lodge Franchise's Association (ELFA).

CI&S has two franchise advisory groups with which it consults. The first is comprised mainly of hotel owners and management company executives and the second is comprised of the operational personnel from some of our best run CI&S hotels. We use these groups as sounding boards for new ideas, to receive feedback on existing programs, and to make sure we stay in close touch with our franchisees’ businesses.

7) In your view, list the 3 top qualities that franchisees must have to be successful with your brand.

Our most successful franchisees all share the same basic qualities – (1) They have a passion for taking care of the guest. It is part of their DNA. (2) They are strong managers of people and understand the importance of a highly engaged and motivated team to operate their hotel. (3) They closely follow our system standards and make good use of the many resources available from CI&S to support their hotels

8) What are your plans to market Your Brand on the Internet?

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson properties are marketed extensively online with a full-service brand Web site, through online advertising, paid search, and through new social media channels including Facebook (www.facebook.com/countryinns), twitter (www.twitter.com/countryinns), our brand blog www.talkofthecountry.com and to online media through public relations.

9) How important is Internet marketing to your Brand for overall strategy?

The Internet is one of our key channels for driving revenue for our brand. The Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand is and will continue to be an active participant in online marketing, which is a key initiative in the company’s global approach.

10) What do you feel about mobile Internet? Will travelers start booking hotels through mobile by 2015?

Mobile is definitely a new channel for the future. Travelers, especially with smart phones, are already using the mobile Internet for transactions of all types, including hotels. The larger question is: "What is the best way to market to travelers on the mobile Internet?" Country Inns & Suites By Carlson is definitely poised to be a competitor in this space in the near future.

11) Do you have plans to offer your brand outside United States?

The CI&S brand is already outside of the US with locations in India, Central America, Canada, Mexico and Europe.

12) Is there anything you will like to add which will be useful to our readers?

We encourage your readers to find out more about the CI&S brand at our website: www.countryinns.com and find out why more and more people are starting to say, “I love this Country”.

13) Do you track the traveler's reviews on websites like www.tripadvisor.com and take appropriate measures to improve the guest experience?

Customers are using the Internet as their primary research tool for their travel needs. Reviews and social media commentary are significant contributors in their travel making decisions. Officials at Country Inns & Suites By Carlson properties closely monitor Web site reviews, news and direct commentary from its customers to implement measures intended to enhance the guest experience. We encourage our franchisees to also closely monitor their individual Web pages and respond to reviews on a timely basis and if there is a negative complaint, invite the person to contact them directly to resolve the issue off-line. The brand also engages customers through multiple leading social media channels.

14) How do you plan to use Web2.0 tools in overall Internet strategy?

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson participates in specialized blogs and micro-sites for corporate partners and stakeholders, which offer Web 2.0 “reply” capability.

15) What steps can individual franchises take to be successful and effective in Internet marketing?

Global hoteliers should monitor online reviews and commentary to stay abreast of fast-changing consumer tastes and preferences. Hoteliers must then utilize this dynamic product evaluation to design and implement plans and programs that will enhance the guest room experience. In addition, the hotel needs to not only focus on their hotel, but their local destination to target marketing opportunities and content to attract customers to their particular property.

For more information: Visit: www.countryinns.com