Business View Magazine | January 2020

195 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020 MTEL CONSULTANTS MTEL has forged many important relationships: Choice Hotels, Red Roof, G6 (Motel 6 and Studio 6), Hilton, Marriott, IHG are the main franchises they deal with, as well as the subsequent brands under each of those umbrellas. Mody explains, “The franchisors are really our partners. They provide us with economies of scale, creating bulk discounts. So, that’s been helpful to us. In a similar vein, we’re paying the franchises royalties, every month, for the revenue we derive. They’re also providing us marketing support through their TV and internet ads, where they also have a loyalty platform they manage. Some of the upper-end, mid-scale franchises like Hilton and Marriott have 45 to 55 percent reservation contribution from their loyalty members. So, when you open up or operate one of those hotels, you automatically get an average of about 50 percent of your business from those loyalty members, which is a huge opportunity.” Reflecting on the most important attributes of MTEL Consultants, Mody specifies, “Number one is trust. We are trusted in the industry and we’ve been around a long time. Interestingly, in the selected limited service market space of the hotel industry, 85 percent of those hotels in the U.S. have owners in India or Southeast Asia. We are also a Southeast Asian company, so we have a pretty wide footprint in that respect and it’s proven very beneficial over the years. We also have the ability to pivot quickly. “And we take pride in nurturing long-lasting relationships; money will come afterwards. It’s something my father taught me – at 73, he’s still involved in the business daily, working seven days a week. He has always said: ‘Money will come. You need to focus on the relationships; building integrity and trust in the marketplace.’” And that is a mantra that Nik and the MTEL team continues to carry near and dear to their heart.