WOODBRIDGE, New Jersey -- Mercury Hotels International, a hospitality company based in Woodbridge, New Jersey, has announced its launch of four new hotel brands. The brands are; Cloud 9 Inn (an economy brand), Mercury Inn & Suites (a midscale brand), Mercury Grand (an upscale brand), and Mercury Hotels & Resorts (a five star luxury lifestyle brand). The four brands were officially unveiled on April 24, 2009 at the Gaylord Hotel in Washington, DC.
Since launching the brands, Mercury Hotels has already converted some properties and has many others in the pipeline. Jeffrey Obomeghie, the CEO of Mercury Hotels International, stated, "The brands are generating tremendous excitement among hotel owners. They will radicalize the hotel landscape. We are doing conversions as well as new construction."
Mr. Obomeghie estimates that the company will have nearly 200 properties under its various flags by the end of 2010. The company's five-star luxury brand, Mercury Hotels and Resorts, is a high barrier to entry brand that is open to only hotel developers with a strong track record backed by solid institutional funding. The brand was conceived as a luxury lifestyle alternative to brands such as the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula Hotels, and Relais and Chateaux. Mercury Hotels' development target is to open no more than five of these luxury properties each year in the US, Europe, and Asia.
The company states that affiliation with any of its brands is based on a membership model, rather than the traditional franchisee/franchisor relationship operated by many other brands. Mercury Hotels offers competitive application fees, flat monthly membership fees, an easy exit strategy, and a seamless conversion process.
According to Bradley Zimmer, Executive Vice President, "We are accepting applications from hotel owners looking to join the Mercury Hotels International family. We have made the process fairly painless for them. Our conversion requirements are available online at http://www.mercuryhotelsinternational.com."
Prior to founding the company, the principals of Mercury Hotels International worked in a variety of property and corporate positions including CEO, COO, and Senior Vice President for various hospitality companies including a hotel REIT. In those positions, they oversaw various hotel brands including Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, IHG, and Radisson, among others.