La Quinta Unveils Franchise Prototype; Samples Going Up in Dallas, San Antonio

DALLAS-Two months after launching a franchise program, La Quinta Inns Inc. is unveiling a hotel prototype that will be going up at two locations in Dallas and another in San Antonio.

That’s just the beginning, with seven franchise deals signed and “a significant number in the pipeline,” Alan Tallis, La Quinta’s executive vice president and chief development officer, tells GlobeSt.com. He predicts 75 franchise contracts will be signed in the next year and 150 new hotels up and running in the next three years.

The franchisees will be using La Quinta’s makeover for new hotel projects nationwide, delivering new markets to the Dallas-based hotelier. Renowned hotel architect Renee Gauche of Maryland has completed two designs and has a smaller version still on the drawing boards. The completed designs are tailored to structures with at least 100 rooms, featuring residential-style architecture and decor inherent to regions in which they are located. Amenities include fitness rooms, guest laundries and business centers.