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Here is were my all round property management
experience with the Ramada System came to use. Let me first introduce the company. I came on board, when their regions of
9 sectors were down sized to 5 regions. This multi facet company had their hands in many more pots. Hotels, restaurants, mainly
Pizza oriented food service. They
had Holiday Inn Hotel Properties, Show Biz Pizza, and in the run of buying troubled Chuck E Cheese chain. 300 company owned
and 300 franchise Units. At the same time, Brock Hotels worked on their new brand of hotels, Park Plaza Hotels, Park Suites
and Park Resort Hotels. Brock was the first to create an extended stay resident style hotel units, under the name, Residence
Inns, now owned and franchised by the Marriott Corp. The Park Concept later was bought over by the Carlson Group in Minn.,
MN. Here again, I learned so much in a very short time. Just amazing to my taste of growing knowledge on corporate as
well as on property level. Problems were presented at heir gorgeous corporate office, a total free standing castle,
so to speak! Then execute them on property level with positive impact. I had lunch and dinner with Mr. Brock.
And on a one on one basis he asked, what do you think about the purchase of Chuck E. Cheese? I told him, Mr. Brock, stick
with your hotel concept, find your self an investment group in Hong Kong, and try to stabilize your stock on NY-Stock exchange
at 6 and 3/4 per share, or higher. Ernie Franzone, a problem member of his board decided to convince Robert Brock to purchase
it anyway, with a service debt flying through the ceiling with much lower gain in the end! Once you gain outside investors,
Change 10 Holiday Inns, into Park Inns, like many roadside hotel properties, down town properties into Park Plaza Hotels,
and turn the then called Granada Royale Homehotels, now called Embassy Suites Hotels into Park Suites Hotels, then franchise
your label. All my experience on page 2, were mostly executed within this company's operations. The results were out of
this world. And I gain so much insights to ever start my own hotel/resort management company in the near future? The downfall of this company is simple. To many Chiefs
and no Indians. Some of their properties were in strong need of renovation, some were about to loose their franchise license.
Corporate Contractors were good for the end of the year bonus for the corporate Staff, but property
level management were paying for bad services and bad quality of delivered items. Cutting to many corners, cutting Sales &
Marketing and advertising budgets. General Managers were just a number, their hands were tied. So was every department on
property level. This company was just growing to fast for its bridges, and corporate staff were going each their own way under
one roof. My advice? They should have sold all loosing assets to pay much of their debt services, concentrate on their hotel
concept, sell loosing properties requesting high maintenance. Downsize corporate staff and assign remaining officers to various
important responsible tasks and meeting certain dead lines. Discuss, plan then execute, would have saved this company. Then
concentrate on present properties to upgrade their guest services status instead. Tighten per department training procedures
for ultimate results. Concentrate on marketing strategy spots, such as airport, downtown with convention center and resort
oriented hotel sites. Study specific Chamber Of Commerce future business expansion, buy their land around new office buildings
and Brock would have been a very profitable and very lucrative Hotel Management company. This is the unique company in my
life, given so many experienced tools, I may need for future use. Robert Brock became my Icon, due to his commitment,
dedication and kindness to all people in his corporate realm. Bless his heart, this man had deep passion, were I just can't
get enough in thanking him for all the knowledge I had learned ! ♥
After a short research, I assume
the latter part? ShowBiz Pizza, did bought over the Chuck E Cheese chain. In 1992, take the full name of the above brand and
replace all ShowBiz Pizza units with the name Chuck E. Cheese label. Therefore sold out Robert Brock's Hotel Concept,
took over their home office at 4441 W. Airport Freeway in Irving Texas. Checking their board of directors, I see none of the
old Brock board of directors were noted on it. Just amazing how things can change over night?.... Like a dream, I assume?.....
I was glad to have seen the change of a simple hotel management group out of Topeka Kansas, split with his partner taking
17 to 19 Holiday Inn properties, as Robert Brock moved his home office to a brand new free standing building on 4441 W. Airport
Freeway in Irving, Texas. I was glad to be part of that experience!
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