America's Best Sees Huge Website Reservation Jump

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. October 14, 2008

JULY 9, 2008. America's Best Franchising experienced an astounding 46% jump in reservations during June thanks to two new websites which were launched just a month earlier on behalf of its Country Hearth and America's Best upper economy brands.

A third new website in support of the company's "3 Palms" condo hotel brand saw a very significant 24% increase in reservations.

"This boost in internet reservations for Country Hearth and America's Best properties is especially impressive because it came during a month when there was an industry-wide occupancy reduction of 4% in the economy hotel segment," said Doug Collins, chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based America's Best Franchising Incorporated.

"Similarly, the growth in reservations for our 3 Palms brand - which operates four properties in central Florida - was achieved at a time when occupancy in the Orlando area was experiencing a double-digit decline."

According to Collins, today's strained economy has both business and leisure travelers actively looking to stretch their budget with hotel accommodations that deliver dependable quality at reasonable rates.

"Our new websites clearly make that kind of comparison shopping very convenient," adds Collins. "That's because we have greatly enhanced the presence of our brands on search engines plus we have made our sites considerably more user-friendly."

In May, America's Best Franchising became the first national hotel franchise to provide and maintain a multi-page website for each of its properties, at no charge to the franchisees.

"The internet is increasingly the preferred method for consumers to research and to make their travel arrangements," observes Collins. "And our franchisees certainly prefer reservations through our brand internet sites - there are no commissions on these, so it's the most profitable way for us to increase occupancy."