Great Night's Sleep = Great Business Plan

Every company needs a differentiator that cements its image as a category leader in the publics' eyes, especially in industries where consumers have many brands from which to choose. In the fast food segment, McDonalds has honed its image as family-friendly; among car makers, Volvo has cornered the market on safety.

When Arnold Angeloni came on board as CEO of AmericInn, he decided to capitalize on the amenity most prized by business and leisure travelers alike. You may be surprised to discover that it's not a fancy lobby, not a five-star restaurant or even 24-hour room service. What travelers want, more than anything else, is peace and quiet.

"More than one in three American adults say they rarely get a good night's sleep when traveling," says Angeloni. "For business travelers, a restful night means they're ready for the busy day full of meetings that awaits them; for families, making sure the kids get enough sleep can mean the difference between a trip to remember and one you'd rather forget."

Angeloni knew that providing the quietest nigh possible meant starting from the ground up, during the construction phase. "There's only so much you can do to insulate against noise once the property is built. You need to think about sound abatement before the first backhoe shows up," he says. AmericInn provides its guests with a quiet environment because its hotels are built with sound control as an essential objective in design.

The company's proprietary AmericInn SoundGuard, system is the standard used for the construction of all hotels in the chain. It utilizes proven construction technology to build a hotel that is as quiet as possible. Concrete block walls are filled with foam to help block noise; the walls are then covered with thick drywall. Hollow core concrete planks between floors minimizes noise traveling up or down. Insulated windows help block noise from outside of the building. In addition, the design of the hotels separates the pool and recreation areas from the residential portion of the building, minimizing sound in guest rooms from activities in these spaces.

Engineers have given just as much thought to what goes on inside the building. Doors to the guest rooms are fitted with thresholds that greatly reduce noise from the corridor, quiet closing mechanisms and door hardware designed to operate easily and quietly. Isolating water supply and drain pipes helps limit noise intrusions from nearby showers and bathrooms. Likewise, the heating and cooling system is designed to operate as quietly as possible.

Tests by sound engineers found that the walls in AmericInn hotels reduce the sounds, like talking or television, from adjacent rooms. Likewise, noise from things like dropped object, high heels or moving furniture is greatly reduced as well.

While these ratings are impressive, Angeloni judges the success of his "quiet hotel" campaign by the rave reviews he gets from guests. "That's why we take so much care in building our hotels," he said. "We want to give our guests the best possible experience."

As part of that experience, guests also enjoy a complimentary hot breakfast offering, free Internet access and a full-size pool. With over 200 hotels in 21 states throughout the United States, AmericInn hotels are conveniently located in business hubs as well as close to major tourist attractions for families.

For more information, visit www.americinn.com or call (800) 634-3444.

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