Wingate Inn Wins Two Major Industry Awards

Savvy business travelers and consumers looking for a great value in a hotel chain need look no further than Wingate Inn hotels, as the brand was named the Best Midpriced Hotel Chain in Entrepreneur Magazine's 7th Annual Business Travel Awards. Wingate Inns was chosen for this honor because it provides travelers with both quality and value at reasonable prices.

"Being recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as its best midpriced hotel chain is an outstanding achievement," says Keith Pierce, president and CEO of Wingate Inns International, Inc. "It confirms our principal brand philosophy, which is to provide all-new construction, technology-focused, high quality hotels at affordable prices. Our all-inclusive pricing policy includes everything from free cordless telephones in every guestroom to a free 24-hour business center to free guestroom high-speed Internet access via a laptop. In addition, the brand prides itself on consistency of product, meaning travelers will basically experience the same affordable, high-quality product whether they stay at a Wingate Inn hotel in Atlanta, GA, Bozeman, MT, or anywhere else in the United States."

With the results of Entrepreneur Magazine's 7th Annual Business Travel Awards to be used as a source of information for travelers, here's what the magazine had to say about Wingate Inns, its Best Midpriced Hotel Chain:

"Wingate Inns has quickly become a favorite of road warriors, growing from a single location in 1996 to 90 in just four years. Fans of the chain might cringe when reading this article, though - they'd prefer their new hotel find to remain a secret."

The magazine article continued: "What's so great about a Wingate Inn? First, all are built from the ground up. All offer free high-speed Internet access in every guestroom. Each hotel also provides thoughtful amenities, like automated check-in and check-out; in-room cordless phones; and two-line desk phones with all the necessary features. Wingate Inns also offer free breakfast as well as free local calls and toll-free calls. There's also free 24-hour access to usage of fax, printing and copying equipment, and wireless phones can be checked out from the front desk for use anywhere within the hotel. Each location also has a whirlpool and fitness room.

"A key feature of this chain is consistency - you'll find all the above features in every hotel. Better yet, you'll find the price competitive ($69 to $99) and without nickel-and-diming at the check-out desk. For details, call (800) 228-1000 or visit www.wingateinns.com."

Wingate Inn Hotels Lands Top Spot For Hotel Company in Cornell 2000 Hospitality Industry Strategic Excellence Award Competition

The "my-tech" strategy of Wingate Inn hotels isn't just praised by hotel guests, but also by industry and educational personnel as the brand was honored as one of two finalists, and the top hotel company, in the 2000 Hospitality Industry Strategic Excellence Award Competition. The annual competition, which is sponsored by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, honors hospitality companies for their accomplishments in hospitality industry strategy.

"Being a finalist, as well as the top hotel company, for the Hospitality Industry Strategic Excellence Award is an outstanding achievement for the brand," says Keith Pierce, president and CEO of Wingate Inns International, Inc. "Wingate's 'my-tech' strategy focuses on the fact that the majority of our clientele are business travelers who are comfortable with technology. These guests are used to, and require, a certain level of technology-based amenities, such as high-speed Internet access, that enable them to remain productive and save time while traveling."

Pierce continues, "While the brand introduced free high-speed Internet access throughout its hotels in 1999, 2000 will be even better for Wingate Inn hotel guests as we begin our next 'my-tech' offering - personalized/virtual concierge type services. This personalization of service initiative will initially be offered to members of our frequent traveler club and then eventually for all guests. We will also become the first paperless hotel brand, both externally and internally, resulting in zero-time communication, enabling us to become more connected to our guests and our franchisees."

The 2000 Hospitality Industry Strategic Excellence Award Competition was open to any hospitality-related company, with a panel of four professors from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration judging submissions based on the following criteria:

Strategy refers to a specific action taken by management of a company or property during the past few years to gain competitive advantage or to enhance the company's or property's goodwill. The strategy can be in any of several functional areas including marketing, finance, operations, or human resources.
Excellence was judged based on the impact of the strategy from a financial or societal perspective, as well as on the extent to which the strategy was both original and creative.

"While there were a variety of excellent industry entries, Wingate's was the most exciting and innovative hotel company submission," says Professor of Innovation and Dynamic Management Cathy Enz, who chaired the faculty award committee and served as one of the judges. "Being a finalist for the Hospitality Industry Strategic Excellence Award is a testimony to the creativeness and effectiveness of Wingate's 'my-tech' strategy."

Wingate Inn Hits Two Grand Slams With Four New Hotel Openings & Four Groundbreaks

In just over four years, Wingate Inns International, Inc. has evolved from a small chain into a national hotel brand known for providing dedicated service and the latest in guestroom technology. A big reason for this increase in brand awareness is the opening and groundbreaks of new Wingate Inn hotels throughout the United States. This growth expansion continues as the brand opened four new franchised hotels, three 84-room properties in Columbus, GA, Houston, TX, and Kennesaw, GA., and a 100-room property in North Charleston, SC. In addition, construction began on new Wingate Inn hotels in Lake Mary (Orlando), FL, Chantilly, VA, Concord, NC, and at the airport in Charlotte, NC.

"The past several months have brought tremendous growth to the Wingate Inn hotel brand," says Keith Pierce, president and CEO of Wingate Inn International, Inc. "With over 100 open and under construction properties throughout the United States, each new hotel helps the brand increase national distribution while maintaining our commitment to provide travelers with comfortable accommodations and the latest in enabling technology."

As a part of the Wingate Inns chain, these new franchised Wingate Inn hotels feature high-speed Internet access connections in every guestroom, as well as in the meeting room and boardroom. Guests with a standard Ethernet card and RJ45 connector will be able to enjoy free access to the Internet from guestrooms at speeds up to 50 times faster than conventional 56K modems. Meeting room and boardroom high-speed Internet access is rentable on a half-day and full day basis.

These hotels also features standard amenities such as express, automated check-in and check-out, as well as in-room cordless phones and two-line desk phones with dataport, speaker, conference call and voice mail capabilities. Wingate Inn hotels also offer meeting rooms, 24-hour access to a business center with free usage of fax, printing and copying equipment, and wireless phones that can be checked out from the front desk and used anywhere within the hotel for both incoming and outgoing calls.

Although focused on providing efficient working conditions for the business traveler, Wingate Inn hotels also provide amenities for leisure travelers such as an in-room entertainment system featuring pay-per-view movies and Nintendo 64 games. They can also benefit from larger-than-average guestrooms (12' x 28'), an expanded continental breakfast, a whirlpool, exercise facilities, free accommodations for children 18 and under accompanied by adults, the Wingate Inn 100% gest satisfaction guarantee and in-room safes, coffee makers, hair dryers and ironing boards with irons.

About Wingate Inns International

Wingate Inns International Inc. is an all-new construction hotel chain that opened its first franchised hotel in July 1996. Its focused service, upper mid-market franchised hotels feature sophisticated, consumer-based technology and comfortable, oversized rooms that were created in response to business travelers' needs. All Wingate Inn hotels are independently owned and operated under Franchise agreements.