Days Inn

Days Inn is an international economy hotel brand whose roots lie in a roadside lodging concept created by American real-estate developer Cecil B. Day. The first Days Inn opened on Tybee Island, Georgia, in 1970. Day had previously developed apartment complexes in the Atlanta area and owned several fast-food locations. After selling those holdings in 1969, he used land he owned on Tybee Island to test a new form of affordable, family-oriented accommodation aimed at motorists and vacationers. The first property opened with 60 rooms and initially charged $8 per night. For much of the 1970s, the chain used the name “8 Days Inn,” with advertised prices beginning at $8.88. The numeral was eventually removed as operating costs and room rates increased. Despite skepticism about the commercial prospects of Tybee Island, the first property reached full occupancy shortly after opening. Day subsequently opened a second property in Forsyth, Georgia, and the chain began developing a recognizable roadside format. The early Days Inn concept combined low prices with practical amenities and a family-oriented identity. Many properties included a restaurant and gift-shop combination called Tasty World. Day declined to serve alcohol in these restaurants, preferring to position the brand toward families. Some locations also offered gasoline, generally through unbranded pumps, allowing the properties to function as convenient stops for motorists. The chain provided free paperback Bibles in guest rooms for much of the 1970s and developed a network of chaplains to serve guests. Days Inn was also an early hotel-chain participant in senior-citizen discounts and helped popularize the placement of budget lodging near suburban and rural exits on the United States Interstate Highway System rather than only in city centers. Days Inn of America began franchising in 1972. Within approximately eight years, the franchise system had grown to more than 300 hotels in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The brand later expanded its format portfolio beyond the core Days Inn and Days Inn & Suites offerings. Related concepts included Days Hotel, Days Suites, the short-lived Days Lodge, Days Park for recreational vehicles, and Daystop, a budget concept launched in 1990. Not all of these formats remained in operation. In the 1980s, the Tollman-Hundley Hotel Group became the chain’s largest franchisee and acquired Days Inn of America. The company entered bankruptcy in 1991 and was subsequently sold to Hospitality Franchise Systems. The bankruptcy and related federal fraud allegations involving Stanley S. Tollman and Monty D. Hundley became an important corporate episode in the brand’s history, although the allegations concerned the ownership group and bankruptcy process rather than the hotel product itself. Days Inn later became part of the hotel businesses assembled through Cendant and ultimately Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The brand also developed a presence outside North America. In the United Kingdom, Days Inn locations have been operated under licensing and operating arrangements involving motorway-service companies, including Welcome Break, Roadchef, Extra Services, and Moto Hospitality. Some British locations were later converted to other brands, while others continued under the Days Inn name. Days Inn is currently part of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, a major global franchised-hotel company. According to the cited Wikipedia reference, as of December 31, 2023, the brand comprised 1,501 locations and 114,216 rooms worldwide. Its portfolio includes traditional rooms, limited-service properties, and selected suite-oriented accommodations. The brand’s enduring positioning is value-focused lodging for motorists, families, leisure travelers, and other guests seeking economical overnight accommodation, supported by a broad franchised network rather than a single standardized property design.

Days Inn began as a roadside lodging experiment by Cecil B. Day, an Atlanta-area real-estate developer and former fast-food operator. In 1969, Day sold his existing holdings to Phipps Land Company and then used land on Tybee Island, Georgia, to establish a new hotel concept. The first Days Inn opened in 1970 with 60 rooms and a low advertised nightly rate of $8. The location quickly gained occupancy despite doubts about the island’s tourism prospects. A second hotel opened later that year in Forsyth, Georgia. The original concept was designed around affordability, convenience, and family use. In its early years the brand was often promoted as “8 Days Inn,” reflecting its introductory pricing. The company later dropped the numeral as rates and costs changed. Many properties combined lodging with a Tasty World restaurant and gift shop. Day refused to sell alcohol at these outlets and emphasized a family-oriented customer base. Some properties also had gasoline pumps, chaplain services, and free paperback Bibles in guest rooms. The chain was among the early hotel brands to offer senior discounts and to place properties near Interstate Highway exits in suburban and rural areas. Days Inn of America began franchising in 1972. During the following decade the system expanded to more than 300 hotels across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company developed several related formats, including Days Inn & Suites, Days Hotel, Days Suites, Days Lodge, Days Park, and Daystop. Some were short-lived or specialized concepts, while the core Days Inn name remained the principal economy lodging brand. During the 1980s, Stanley S. Tollman and Monty D. Hundley, operating through the Tollman-Hundley Hotel Group, became the chain’s largest franchisees and acquired Days Inn of America. The ownership group took the company into bankruptcy in 1991. Federal authorities later indicted Tollman and Hundley on bank-fraud and tax-fraud charges relating to the nondisclosure of assets during the bankruptcy process. The company was subsequently sold to Hospitality Franchise Systems. Tollman later reached a plea agreement that permitted his return to the United States in exchange for a payment exceeding $100 million, according to the cited reference. Days Inn subsequently became part of the hotel portfolio associated with Cendant and later Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The brand expanded internationally through franchising and licensing. In the United Kingdom, several motorway-service operators used the Days Inn name, including Welcome Break, Roadchef, Extra Services, and Moto Hospitality. Some locations were converted to other brands, while others remained Days Inn properties. The present-day brand operates as part of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and continues to serve the economy and limited-service segment. Its portfolio includes conventional guest rooms and selected suite formats. The cited reference reports that, at December 31, 2023, the chain had 1,501 locations and 114,216 rooms worldwide. In 2022, a fatal shooting at a Days Inn property in Phoenix, Arizona, resulted in two deaths and five injuries, bringing significant public attention to the individual property and incident.

• 2023

  Reported global network size

  [1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  The brand is reported to have 1,501 locations and 114,216 rooms worldwide as of December 31, 2023.

• 2022

  Phoenix mass shooting

  [1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  A shooting at and near a Days Inn in Phoenix kills two people and injures five others before the shooter dies by suicide.

• 1991

  Bankruptcy and sale to Hospitality Franchise Systems

  [1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  Days Inn of America enters bankruptcy under the Tollman-Hundley Hotel Group and is later sold to Hospitality Franchise Systems.

• 1990

  Daystop concept is introduced

  [1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  Days Inn starts the short-lived Daystop budget lodging concept in Lakeville, Minnesota.

• 1980

  Franchise system exceeds 300 hotels

  [1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  Within eight years of franchising, the system grows to more than 300 hotels in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

• 1972

  Franchising begins

  [1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  Days Inn of America begins franchising its hotel system.

• 1970

  First Days Inn opens on Tybee Island

  [1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  Cecil B. Day opens the first Days Inn in Tybee Island, Georgia, with 60 rooms and an $8 introductory rate.

• 1970

  Second property opens in Forsyth

  [1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  A second location opens in Forsyth, Georgia, establishing an early basis for the chain’s roadside expansion.

Value-oriented, family-friendly, and roadside lodging with broad geographic availability and a historically strong focus on affordable accommodation for motorists and leisure travelers.

• Economy hotel · 1970

  Days Inn

  The core Days Inn format provides value-oriented overnight accommodation, generally emphasizing practical rooms, accessible locations, and limited-service operations. Historically, many properties were positioned near highways and suburban or rural travel routes.

• Economy hotel and suite accommodation

  Days Inn & Suites

  Days Inn & Suites combines conventional hotel rooms with suites at properties that may operate with full or limited service. The format extends the core brand into stays requiring more space or a suite-style layout.

• Full-service hotel

  Days Hotel

  Days Hotel was a full-service variant associated with high-traffic areas and larger cities. It represented a more service-intensive interpretation of the Days Inn brand architecture than the basic roadside property.

• All-suite hotel

  Days Suites

  Days Suites was an all-suites format that could operate with either full or limited service. It targeted guests seeking suite accommodations under the broader Days brand.

• Lodge accommodation

  Days Lodge

  Days Lodge was a short-lived lodging concept developed under the Days brand family. The format did not become a continuing major part of the portfolio.

• Recreational-vehicle accommodation

  Days Park

  Days Park was intended for recreational vehicles and motor homes, extending the brand’s roadside and travel-oriented concept beyond conventional hotel rooms.

• Budget hotel · 1990

  Daystop

  Daystop was a budget lodging chain introduced in 1990 in Lakeville, Minnesota. It was a short-lived concept rather than a lasting core Days Inn format.

• 2022

  Phoenix mass shooting

  A mass shooting took place in and outside a Days Inn in Phoenix, Arizona. Two people were killed and five were injured before the shooter died by suicide. The incident involved a specific property and does not by itself establish conduct by the brand owner.

  Source

• 1991

  Tollman-Hundley bankruptcy and fraud case

  After the Tollman-Hundley Hotel Group took Days Inn of America into bankruptcy, Stanley S. Tollman and Monty D. Hundley were indicted on federal bank-fraud and tax-fraud charges concerning the alleged nondisclosure of assets in the bankruptcy process. The company was later sold to Hospitality Franchise Systems.

  Source

Read more

• 1991

  Sell the brand after bankruptcyM&A

  Background

  Days Inn of America entered bankruptcy under the Tollman-Hundley Hotel Group.

  Action taken

  The brand was sold to Hospitality Franchise Systems.

  Aftermath

  Days Inn continued through subsequent hotel-company ownership structures, including Cendant and later Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

  Source

• 1972

  Scale through franchisingStrategy

  Background

  The early company needed a way to expand beyond its initial company-developed locations.

  Action taken

  Days Inn of America began franchising the brand to independent hotel operators.

  Aftermath

  The system grew to more than 300 hotels in the United States, Canada, and Mexico within approximately eight years.

  Source

• 1970

  Adopt an affordable roadside lodging modelStrategy

  Background

  Cecil B. Day sought to use land on Tybee Island for a new lodging business aimed at travelers and vacationers.

  Action taken

  The first hotel opened with 60 rooms and an $8 nightly price, establishing a value-focused positioning.

  Aftermath

  The first property quickly reached full occupancy, and a second location opened later that year.

  Source

• 1970

  Emphasize family-oriented, alcohol-free food serviceStrategy

  Background

  Cecil B. Day wanted the brand to appeal to families and personally opposed serving alcohol.

  Action taken

  Many properties used the Tasty World restaurant and gift-shop concept without a bar or alcohol sales.

  Aftermath

  The policy became part of the early brand identity, although bankers reportedly argued that alcohol service could increase profits.

  Source

• 2023

  Days Inn network reported at 1,501 locations and 114,216 rooms[1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The brand’s reported worldwide system size at December 31, 2023 was 1,501 locations and 114,216 rooms.

• 1991

  Days Inn ownership group enters bankruptcy[1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy · M&A

  Days Inn of America, owned by the Tollman-Hundley Hotel Group, entered bankruptcy and was later sold to Hospitality Franchise Systems.

• Days Inn becomes part of the Wyndham hotel portfolio[1]Days Innen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Days Inn is described as a current brand of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts following its earlier ownership through Hospitality Franchise Systems and Cendant.

1. 1Days Innen.wikipedia.org