Laying the groundwork for a fresh choice

Franchisee relations... decentralization.. customer service and support. The carefully chosen platforms of Chuck Ledsinger might not be great fodder for Choice Hotels' next big consumer ad blitz-at least not in the way that inspired the lodging chain's famous suitcase campaign of the early '90s. Since assuming leadership

It's not as if there's anything seriously wrong, he says. Despite a period of management instability from the mid-to-late '90s, Choice ranks as the world's secondlargest hotel franchisor, with seven popular brands-- Comfort, Clarion, Quality, Sleep, MainStay Suites, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn-totaling some 5,000 hotels open or under development in 36 countries. However, Ledsinger would like to think that at its present size-and, perhaps even more critical, as the chain continues to grow-- top-level management will reestablish and maintain close ties with the franchisee--