The Hotel Investor Playbook From CEO of Days Inn to Launching Marriott’s Autograph Collection | Richard Kessler E47
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Sep 2, 2025 
Richard Kessler, a visionary hotelier with over 50 years in hospitality, shares key insights from his remarkable career. He talks about scaling Days Inn and launching Marriott’s Autograph Collection, focusing on finding opportunities during downturns. Kessler emphasizes the importance of reputation, vision, and teamwork in building lasting brands. He also reflects on how simple advice from his mother shaped his approach to success, proving that hard work and perseverance are essential in overcoming challenges in the industry.
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Early Days Inn Origin Story
- At 23 Richard Kessler joined Cecil Day and helped launch Days Inn, heading development and building many simultaneous projects.
- He rapidly scaled the brand by opening offices in growth markets like Orlando and managing dozens of builds at once.
Turnaround During Oil Embargo
- During the 1970s oil embargo Kessler took over thousands of rooms and operations when franchisees couldn’t meet rents, building an operator team from scratch.
- He turned a $4M loss into a profit the next year and sustained 20% annual earnings growth thereafter.
Plan For Possibilities, Not Limits
- Think beyond limits and plan for possibilities instead of focusing on constraints.
- Build a clear vision and recruit a team that buys into that vision to execute at scale.