Microtel, Hawthorn Suites Leadership Team Named

Wyndham Hotel Group has appointed the leadership team for its recently acquired Microtel Inns & Suites and Hawthorn Suites brands.

Roy Flora has been appointed president of the brands. He previously served their parent company, U.S. Franchise Systems, as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Based in Atlanta, he reports to Tony Berger, Wyndham Hotel Group chief operating officer.

Two other USFS veterans, Mike Muir and Tim Muir, have been named senior vice presidents of franchise sales and development for the brands' western and eastern regions, respectively. The brothers will be based in Atlanta and continue to lead their respective sales teams, reporting to Flora.

Benny Stephens, an 11-year USFS veteran, has been appointed vice president, design and construction. He and his team will support both brands from Atlanta, reporting to Flora.

Rosanne Zusman, a 12-year Wyndham Hotel Group executive, has been promoted to brand senior vice president to oversee Microtel Inns & Suites and Hawthorn Suites operations. Based in Parsippany and reporting to Flora, she will direct the brands' respective field teams.

"We have assembled a world-class management team to drive the continued success of the Microtel Inns & Suites and Hawthorn Suites brands," said Berger. "By combining our resources and infrastructure with the expertise of the individuals who made the brands what they are today, we can maximize our ability to grow and strengthen the business." Wyndham Hotel Group elected to maintain several of the brands' core services and resources in Atlanta "to preserve the culture, systems and philosophies on which those brands were built," Berger said, adding that certain shared support services will be transferred from Atlanta to Wyndham Hotel Group's headquarters in Parsippany, N.J..

Under Flora's leadership at USFS, the Microtel Inns & Suites brand has been ranked number one in guest satisfaction in its segment by J.D. Power & Associates for an unprecedented seven years. He championed accessibility for persons with disabilities, little people and seniors and has received numerous awards in those areas. He also led several initiatives to redesign the Microtel Inns & Suites guest room at minimal cost and redefined the Hawthorn Suites brand as an all-suites, extended-stay product.

Flora previously spent more than 20 years with the former Holiday Inn Worldwide, beginning in 1970 as director, projects development and system administration. He completed his tenure there as corporate director, business relations, overseeing the administrative and legal processes relative to the various divisions, subsidiaries and operating units including the Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites and Homewood Suites brands.

The Muir brothers joined USFS and its founder, Mike Leven, at the company's inception in 1995 and spearheaded the growth and development of the Microtel Inns & Suites and Hawthorn Suites brands as senior vice presidents, franchise sales and development.

Prior to joining USFS, Tim Muir served Holiday Inn Worldwide as vice president, franchise sales and development, and Mike Muir handled the company's franchise sales and development on the West Coast. They consistently were among the company's top franchise sales producers from 1991-1995, selling its Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands and helping to launch the Holiday Inn Express brand.

From 1988-1991, they consistently were among the top franchise sales producers in the Northeast for Days Inns of America.

Stephens joined USFS in 1997 and helped guide hundreds of franchisees, architects and contractors from development through planning and construction to the opening of their hotels. Earlier in his career, he was director of mechanical engineering at W.L. Thompson Consulting Engineers, an international design firm based in Atlanta, where he worked with hotel chains including Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Westin and Hyatt.

Zusman had served Wyndham Hotel Group as vice president of marketing for the Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge and Knights Inn brands, responsible for the development and implementation of all marketing activities. Her recent accomplishments include helping to refresh the Super 8 brand by introducing a new guest room design and logo.

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