The Inn Crowd

You could easily classify computer hardware supplier Optimus Solutions LLP as an overnight success. Last July, when Mark Metz, 35, and his three partners, James Davie, 33, Sean Murphy, 31, and Ed Flachbarth, 31, decided to leave their positions with Sun Data Inc. for a shot at entrepreneurship, time limitations left them scrambling for a temporary location. After a few phone calls, the partners discovered that most temporary office spaces in the area required a three- to six-month commitment. Instead of signing a lease they felt was too lengthy, the budding entrepreneurs checked their new company into the Wingate Inn.

Metz says the biggest advantage of staying at Wingate was that the Inn lived up to its motto: "We're built for business." During its stay, Optimus took the slogan literally; working from one conference room and two suites, the company doubled its size and pulled in half a million dollars. While it's clear from the company's sales that life at Wingate was all about business, a few clients affectionately addressed their faxes to the "Love Shack."