Fair Franchising Podcast

Patrick Mullinix is back with Frances Kiradjian, founder and CEO of Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA), for the third and final episode in the series. BLLA is seeing membership grow as owners reckon with the challenges of doing business in the COVID-19 era.

Patrick Mullinix and his guest, Frances Kiradjian of the Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA), highlight the differences between the boutique lifestyle segment and its soft-branded counterpart.

Travelers seem to prefer boutique hotels as the coronavirus pandemic enters its second year. Government restrictions are easing and the COVID-19 vaccine is becoming more widely distributed, which is good news for the lodging industry. This episode features Frances Kiradjian, founder and CEO of the Boutique Lifestyle Lodging Association, and Patrick Mullinix talking about why many people favor the boutique stay at this point.

Patrick Mullinix gives insight into the unparalleled solutions Advantage Hotels is launching to affect positive change and help hotel owners recover from the Covid-19 pandemic economic crisis. He also touches on GreenTree Hospitality Group's franchise expansion in the USA and how it's changing the upper mid-tier hotel sector with their own financial aid package.

Podcast Personality Glenn Haussman and Advantage Hotels' Patrick Mullinix on What It Takes for Hoteliers to Survive Pandemic Recession

Patrick Mullinix, founder and CEO of Advantage Hotels Inc., and the co-founders of Reform Lodging, a franchisee association, talk about franchisors' preferred vendor programs. The hoteliers say the programs are "kickback" schemes that have grown into a profit center for the brands, and they unfairly prohibit owners from seeking competitive pricing. Reform Lodging officers share their solution – a member marketplace where owners can review vendors and vendors can see a hotelier's payment history and gauge the owner's credit worthiness.

Drive-by and surf-by ADA lawsuits filed by serial plaintiffs and their litigious lawyers threaten the profitability of hotel businesses. Patrick Mullinix, founder and CEO of Advantage Hotels Inc., and the co-founders of Reform Lodging, a franchisee association, talk about the runaway train of frivolous lawsuits fueled by greed. The hoteliers say some franchisors offer owners little support in challenging the suits or helping them avoid litigation in first place by making sure brand standards are ADA compliant.

Patrick Mullinix, founder and CEO of Advantage Hotels Inc., and the co-founders of Reform Lodging, a franchisee association, talk about brands' guest-loyalty programs. The cost of the frequent-guest schemes is one of the largest expenses for a branded property, say the hoteliers. Mullinix and his guests discuss whether there is a solution that boosts the brand recognition, keeps guests satisfied and increases owners' bottom lines.

Patrick Mullinix, founder and CEO of Advantage Hotels Inc., and the co-founders of Reform Lodging, a franchisee association, talk about the growing costs of providing hot breakfasts for guests.

This week we wrap up our conversation with Reform Lodging co-founders Sagar Shah and Rich Gandhi and address the franchisees' responsibility to fellow owners.