Penton Media's Lodging Hospitality, the leading source for information for the hotel management industry, today announced the launch of a new, online tool to assist hotel owners, developers, and investors in calculating the basic franchise fees for more than 60 of the top hotel brands. Accessible from the home page of the Lodging Hospitality website (), the Franchise Fee Calculator is the first of its kind, presenting a powerful and convenient way for those interested in a hotel investment to make educated decisions when considering their business options and brands.

Gary Dietz, publisher of Lodging Hospitality speaks about the advantage this tool brings to the decision making process. "The activities around making a hotel investment decision can be daunting. The task of collecting the needed fee structures from each of the franchises is time consuming, not to mention the effort then required to compile and calculate the data in order to make an informed decision. The Franchise Fee Calculator greatly simplifies the process. At Lodging Hospitality, we have the franchise cost variables collected, we know the calculations hotel owners are looking for, and our franchise fee calculation tool can produce the needed comparison data quickly and conveniently."

The Franchised Fee Calculator is free of charge. Hotel executives who are considering changing flags, building a new hotel, or just looking to compare fee structures simply enter the number of rooms, average daily rate, and occupancy rate into the online calculator. Each calculation supplies accurate, straightforward comparisons for up to five brands with links to additional information on each of the franchise brands.

"We understand comparing franchise costs is only one variable in a hotel investment decision. However, we know it is an important starting point and one that can quickly impact the direction and success of the investment. Lodging Hospitality is pleased to provide the lodging community with a resource that supports the industry's growth through offering the information needed to make solid, informed decisions," added Dietz.

For more information on the Franchise Fee Calculator or sponsorship opportunities, visit http://lhonline.com/contact.

About Penton Media | Lodging Hospitality is a product of Penton Media, Inc. As a leading, independent, business-to-business media company, Penton knows business and how to create and disseminate the vital content that moves markets. Penton is where professionals turn to gain the critical insight, expert analysis, and relevant connections needed to compete and succeed. Headquartered in New York City, the privately held company is owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and its co-investors. For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit