U.S. Franchise Keeping, Renaming Best Inns

Atlanta-Hotel franchising company U.S. Franchising Systems Inc. will not sell its chain of Best Inns hotels, though the company will be changing the name of that hotel flag in order to eliminate confusion between Best Inn and rival chain Best Western International.

Last year, U.S. Franchise received buyout offers from both ShoLodge and Best Value Inn, but the company's officials were too busy fighting a lawsuit by Best Western to seriously consider the offers, said U.S. Franchise CEO Mike Leven.

Leven said U.S. Franchise has applied for trademarks on two names--America's Best Inn and USA's Best Inn--for its 106 Best Inn properties. Pending federal approval on the two names, Leven said U.S. Franchise will rename all its properties and launch a new marketing and awareness campaign to draw new customers to the hotels, most of which are throughout the Midwest and Southeast. In addition to Best Inns, U.S. Franchise Systems owns the Microtel Inns & Suites and Hawthorn Suites brands. -Atlanta Business Chronicle