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Vantage Appoints Bill Hanley Managing Director of the Lexington Collection
March 15, 2010 - In a strategic move designed to take the Lexington Collection of hotels, plaza hotels, boutique hotels, and resorts to the next level, Vantage Hospitality Group, Inc., announced that Bill Hanley will now serve as the managing director of the only membership brand in the upper-mid and upscale lodging segments.
“Even though the Lexington Collection was only launched a little over two years ago, things have changed drastically in our industry during that short period of time,” said Hanley. “Due to the recent economic crisis, the lodging industry has been forever changed and hotel owners are taking a very close look at their bottom lines to ensure they are making decisions that will provide them with a better return on their investments. While other hotel chains are stumbling, this is the perfect opportunity for the Lexington Collection to rise to the forefront because we can offer hotel owners much lower fees without lowering their revenue expectations.”
The Lexington Collection was launched in late 2007 and has since added 18 properties to its system. Most are located throughout the U.S., and two are located in China, including the Lexington Shenyang Rich Gate Hotel, which is the largest hotel in the region with 622 rooms.
Utilizing Vantage’s successful Freestyle Brand Affiliation Model, members of the Lexington Collection choose between low, flat, monthly fees or 3 percent royalties (the lowest in the industry); choose the amenities, services, and brand standards that best fit their individual market niches; are active participants in the brand through a voice and a vote in all major brand initiatives; have the choice to keep their current identity or choose a Lexington designation; and have access to the most comprehensive revenue-generating resources in the industry through the support of Vantage Hospitality, the 10th largest hotel company in the world.
“This is a natural fit,” said Roger Bloss, CEO, President, and Founder of Vantage Hospitality. “Between Bill’s extensive hospitality background and his position as partner and managing director of international development for Vantage, nobody understands the lodging industry better than him; but more importantly, he understands why Vantage and its Lexington Collection brand are different from other large hotel chains.”
Before coming to Vantage, Hanley was the Managing Director of the International Hotel Division and Senior Vice President of Cendant Corporation, during which he developed and managed franchised brands in over 20 countries, including India, China, Italy, Morocco, Malta, the United Kingdom, and other parts of Europe, and directed Cendant’s international operations on four continents. Hanley has also served in executive positions for several hotel groups, including Radisson Hotels International, Trust House Forte/Forte Hotels, ITT Sheraton, and as Executive Vice President for the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
