Hotel Utica to start paying franchise fees

By By JOLEEN FERRIS

Story Created: Jul 9, 2008 at 4:20 PM EST

Story Updated: Jul 9, 2008 at 5:09 PM EST

UTICA - Hotel Utica will soon have to start paying to use the Clarion name.

Hotel leaders know that means the hotel will have to start paying that franchise fee and a booking fee for all rooms that Choice Hotels' 800 number refers to them.

"Like with any business partnership there is a cost of doing business and certainly for us to extend that agreement we would have to be comfortable absorbing whatever additional costs would be there," says Hotel Utica Manager Tony Zaleski.

Zaleski says it has been a profitable relationship but would not say exactly how much money Hotel Utica took in from rooms referred by Choice Hotels. Two years ago, Choice Hotels leaders said they turned away about 12,000 people a year who needed a room in Utica.

In other Hotel Utica news, a huge white elephant attached to the building could soon be helping the historic hotel stay in the black. As long as the money comes through by fall, as hotel leaders hope it will, the parking garage could be built by winter.
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