How La Quinta Began....

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• 1951:  Built 200-room motel located at Loop 410 and San Pedro in San Antonio, Texas, and leased to Ramada.

• 1965:  Owned eight Rodeways and had obtained exclusive franchise rights for all Rodeways built in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas.   Joe, Sam, and Phillip Barshop were all involved in this venture.  Couples were hired to manage the motels.  Rodeway Inns of Texas was primarily operated for investment purposes.  The Barshops were also heavily involved in the produce business and real estate.  Their ventures into the hospitality industry were sidelines to their normal business operations.

• 1965-1968:  Owned Rodeways and Ramadas. 

• February, 1968:  Opened Rodeway Wonderland in San Antonio.

• April, 1968:  On April 6, 1968, the first La Quinta, located at 1001 Commerce in San Antonio, opened coinciding with the opening of the Hemisfair and was directly across from Hemisfair Plaza.  The motel with 128 rooms was full-service with an in-house restaurant and a cantina.  At one time, the restaurant was leased to and managed by Jim's Coffee Shops.

• January, 1969:  Opened La Quinta #505, Houston - Greenway Plaza at 4015 Southwest Freeway.  It was built with 129 rooms as a full-service motel with an in-house restaurant and cantina.  La Quinta at Houston Greenway Plaza was the last motel that was projected to be built by the Barshops at this point.  They had ventured into La Quinta for basically the same reason as the Roadway's...as an investment, not to become an entity in it's own.

• February, 1969:  Opened Ramada #221 in  Lafayette, Louisiana.  This was the first Ramada built and not leased to Ramada.   Managers were hired and the Barshops maintained the franchise rights.  This motel, located at 1810 Highway 167 North in Lafayette, Louisiana,  was built with 141 rooms.

• Between February and June of 1969,  no properties were opened.  The decision to continue to build La Quinta's had been made, but no more full-service properties were planned.  The philosophy of the "businessman's" motel, total comfort but no thrills, emerged at this time.   It had proved difficult to control quality with in-house restaurants, as they were leased and not managed by La Quinta.  They had been provided as a guest service, not necessarily as profit makers.  All inns built after La Quinta #505 were built with an existing restaurant or at locations with area available to build a restaurant in conjunction with motor inn construction, which would be leased to a major restaurant chain for management.

• June, 1969:  Began opening the modern-day La Quinta.  Opened La Quinta #507 - El Paso - Geronimo.  Restaurant on the premises was leased to Denny's.  The property located at 6140 Gateway East in El Paso, Texas, has with 121 rooms.

• January, 1970:  Opened La Quinta #509 - Albuquerque.   There is a Denny's Restaurant on the premises.   This was the first property opened in New Mexico.  The property, with 106 rooms, is located at 2424 San Mateo Blvd. NE, which is also known as I-40.

• March, 1970:  Opened La Quinta #510, San Antonio - South.  There is a Denny's Restaurant on the premises.  The property has 122 rooms and is located at 7202 South Pan Am Expressway in San Antonio, Texas.  This was the third La Quinta opened in San Antonio.

• Each property built and opened during 1969 and 1970 was located on a major interstate highway.  Land development and locations were chosen due to their proximity to major highways, airports, medical centers, major business complexes, and universities.  Barshop Motel Enterprises was actively seeking the business traveler and thinking of his needs when purchasing sites.

• 1972:  Barshop Motel Enterprises becomes L.Q. Motor Inns, Inc.  The company now owns and operates 20 Rodeway Inns and 12 La Quinta Motor Inns.  Five of the La Quinta's are full-service properties with restaurants and cantinas.
• June, 1972:  L.Q. Motor Inns incorporates.

• June and July of 1972:  L.Q. Motor Inns, Inc.   Corporate Offices move from 1710 Main Street in San Antonio, Texas, to the Century Building located at 84 N.E. Loop 410.  They occupied 4400 sq. ft. on the third floor.

• November, 1972:  L.Q. Motor Inns, Inc. goes public.  Stock, although not listed on any exchange, was available for purchase Over The Counter to the public.  Primary stockholders included Sam Barshop, Phillip Barshop, and Doris Barshop Spector.  E.F. Hutton handled stock sales.

• January, 1972:  Opened La Quinta #703 - Tucson.   This was the first joint venture with Prudential to open.   The property, with 134 rooms, has a 24-hour Denny's Restaurant on the premises.   This was also the first La Quinta to open in Arizona.

• February, 1973:  Barshop voluntarily cuts prices to keep their pre-tax profit margins within Phase II guidelines of the Economic Stabilization Program.  They have reduced motel room prices and restaurant menu prices at a total of 11 motels, including five Rodeway Motels and one Ramada Inn.   These were located in San Antonio, Laredo, El Paso, Victoria, Beaumont, and Houston, Texas.  Also, one was in Lafayette, Louisiana.

• August, 1973:  La Quinta Royale #409 opened.  This motel, with 200 rooms, was built with a totally different concept than the existing La Quinta Motels.  It is a full-service motel with in-house restaurants and bars.  The property is located at 602 North Water Street.  It had been a dream of Joe Barshop's for many years.

• September, 1973:  Opened La Quinta #1101 - Orlando.   This was the first franchise property to be sold.  This property was designed to cater tourists and holiday travelers, as each room had two double beds and a sofa.  Also, the property was designed with a game room for guests.  The property is  located at 5825 International Drive in Orlando, Florida.  A 24-hour Denny's in on the premises.

• On the sale of their first franchise property, Sam Barshop states, "We sell franchise properties to entrepreneurs with a net worth of $1 million or more."
• January, 1974:  Opened La Quinta #1102 - Orlando.  This was the second franchise property to be built and opened.   This property has 160 rooms and was designed to cater tourists rather than business travelers.  It was the second La Quinta to be opened in Florida. A 24-hour Denny's in on the premises.
• La Quinta begins to incorporate pre-fab construction techniques.  This enable the company to build a 100-room motel in six months, rather than the usual 12 to 18 months.  The pre-constructed slabs are brought in from the manufacturers' plant by truck and are put together at the site.  The parts are interchangeable, allowing for flexibility.  Costs are cut, no only in respect to construction time, but in less theft and fire hazards.

• June, 1974:  Opened La Quinta #518, Denver-South.   This was the second property to open in Denver and in Colorado. It is located at 1975 South Colorado Blvd., and it has 130 rooms.  There is a 24-hour Azar's Big Boy Restaurant on the premises.  As La Quinta has established by this point, the property caters to the business traveler, but it has five family units.  

• In late 1974, TelQuick, La Quinta's nationwide toll-free reservation service, opens.  The staff of twelve, including support staff of supervisors and secretaries, began handling reservations for all La Quinta's and Rodeways and Ramadas affiliated.  (in 1984, TelQuick had a staff of 61 agents and 12 support staff members.)

• In 1974, a total of fourteen motor inns were built and opened.  Four of the fourteen were sold as franchises in three different states.   Five of the fourteen were built as joint ventures with Prudential.  La Quinta moved into Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Colorado, for the first time.  They began innovative construction techniques.  Also, TelQuick began offering reservation services.

• 1975:  La Quinta brings a unique marketing concept, which has proved to be the key to our success.  Our aim is to reach the market segment between conventional motor inns and budget motels.  We target business travelers, not tourists and conventions.  This eliminates the need for elaborate and costly public areas, banquet facilities, etc.  Our primary concept is location near downtown industrial complexes, medical complexes, and airports.  Free standing restaurants, which La Quinta leases to major restaurants chains, is a continuing part of our concept.

• August, 1975:  Opened La Quinta #523, Lackland - San Antonio.  This was the sixth La Quinta to open in San Antonio.  Located near Lackland Air Force Base, the property has a 24-hour Sambo's Restaurant and adjacent lounge on the premises.  La Quinta Lackland ran 100% occupancy before it opened.   As the story goes, a gentleman came to the front desk one week before opening in dire need of a room.  The managers did finally sell him one of the 30 completed rooms and before the next two hours had passed, the remaining 29 rooms were sold to others coming in the lobby. 

• September, 1975:  La Quinta buys their first and only Howard Johnson.

• September, 1975:  La Quinta publishes first in-house newspaper, Input.

• October, 1975:  L.Q. Motor Inns, Inc.  is officially changed to La Quinta Motor Inns, Inc.

• November, 1975:  La Quinta Motor Inns, Inc. is listed on the American Stock Exchange, Ticker symbol, LQM.  To be eligible to have shares sold on the American Stock Exchange, a company must have $5 million total market value, 1200 shareholders, and $4 million net tangible assets.  In keeping with tradition, Sam Barshop, President, bought the first one hundred shares on AMEX.   "  This is another of our developments as a progressive-minded company.   The American Stock Exchange provides a more liquid market for out stock than the Over-The-Counter market."

• During 1975, La Quinta opened eight La Quinta Motor Inns.   The first motor inn in Kentucky was opened in Louisville, the first in Ohio was opened in Dayton, and the first in Illinois opened in Moline.  San Antonio opened their fifth and sixth inns at Airport West and Lackland.  Two of the eight motor inns opened were franchises.

• January, 1976:  La Quinta lead the industry with their pre-cast construction techniques.  In 1976, they began constructing entire motels with the pre-cast design.

• February, 1976:  Dallas Herald Times - " 'Site Savvy' is key to motor inn success.  According to Sam Barshop, President of La Quinta Motor Inns, Inc., his real estate savvy - basically a gut feeling for good sites - is the key to his company's past and future success.   Over the past five years, La Quinta has managed a 20 percent compounded growth rate and a 20 percent return on equity, despite recession, inflation, and an energy crisis.  The average occupancy rate for the chain, over the last three years, has been 80 percent."

• March, 1976:  San Antonio is scene of managers meeting, March 11-13.  Managers from twelve states and sixty-two properties gathered at the convention center for the meeting.  According to Sam Barshop, President, "A meeting of this type is the best thing we can do as a company.  It brings us together to exchange ideas and enjoy each other's company.  As we continue to grow, it is important we don't lose the feeling of one big family working toward a common goal."   Service awards for the outstanding management team were presented to Leonard and Lois Bunaisky, Art and Rose Lembke, and David and Helen Ridley.  Maxine Glasberg was presented with a Special Recognition Award for 11 years of service to La Quinta Motor Inns, Inc.  

• April, 1976:  American Red Cross housed 68 people at La Quinta South in San Antonio, Texas, after 150 people were forced to evacuate their homes due to 6 1/2" of rain, causing Zarzamora creek to rise to dangerous levels.

• May, 1976:  Opened La Quinta #527 - Killeen. This inn, the first in Killeen, sold every available room its first night open.   Located one mile from Ft. Hood at 11112 FM 440 (U.S. 90), the inn has 100 rooms and a 24-hour Denny's on the premises.

La Quinta Regal Row began construction on a solar heating system, which will heat a 24 room addition, swimming pool, laundry, hot water system for 90% of the rooms, and the lounge.  The system cost approximately $15,000 to construct.

Sam Barshop, President of La Quinta Motor Inns, Inc., was named to the additional post of Chief Executive Officer.

• June, 1976:  La Quinta occupancies over the last year ran 10 percent above the industry average, reporting 80 percent occupancy.

• August, 1976:  Opened La Quinta #711, Houston - Sharpstown.  The inn, the third to open in Houston, ran 100% occupancy on opening day.  They closed out TelQuik reservations two hours after opening.  The motel has six rooms and is located at 8201 Southwest Freeway, near Gessner Rd.  There is a 24-hour Denny's adjacent to the property.

• September, 1976:     In keeping with their policy of selling older properties that do not produce a rate of return equal to what could be earned by investing the funds in other operations, La Quinta sells Roadway - Love Field, Dallas.

• October, 1976:  Opened La Quinta, Turtle Creek - San Antonio. This is the fiftieth La Quinta Motor Inn to open and the seventh in San Antonio.  Both Sam and Phillip Barshop, the founders of the eight year-old company, were present for the grand opening celebration.  The inn, located at 9542 I-10 West, has 106 rooms and a 24-hour Denny's, lounge, and Gallagher's Steak House on the premises.

La Quinta promotes Joyce Wilson to Vice President-Marketing.  Ms. Wilson has been employed by La Quinta for the past 15 months, as Director of Marketing.  The Marketing Office is based in Dallas.  Ms. Wilson is the first woman to achieve the post of Vice-President in the industry.

La Quinta promotes Jerry N. Wiggins to the post of Vice President-Corporate Systems.  In this position, he will coordinate new motor inn development among the various company departments.

• November, 1976:  La Quinta's continue to enhance the definition of hospitality.  La Quinta's in Wichita Falls, Greenway Plaza - Houston, Wirt Rd. -Houston, and Market Center - Dallas held guest appreciation parties.   Each of the motor inns greeted guests with music, food, beer, and other beverages.   Guests made comments such as "I travel about 50 weeks out of the year and have stayed in too many motels and hotels to mention.  This is the first time I've ever seen anything like this.  You should make it a yearly event."

• January, 1977:  The Dallas Morning News:   January 18, 1977 Editorial:  The people who operate La Quinta Motor Inns are conducting a remarkable venture at their Regal Row facility in Dallas.  They have installed a solar energy system.  What is remarkable - it's almost a rarity these days - is the fact that La Quinta is paying the entire cost of an undertaking that may or may not pan out.  No federal money is involved, despite the fact that the federal government has appropriated millions of dollars for solar research.  To some, La Quinta may seem to be a company of fools, risking their own money instead of government dollars.  To others, it may inspire a breath of nostalgia, reminding of Henry Ford and Cyrus McCormick and thousands of other Americans who risked time, labor, and dollars in search of success, often finding failure instead.  But, whichever they found, they produced the energy that kept alive the flame of American enterprise.  It's good to see a flicker of that flame again.

This was the lodging industry's first application of solar energy space heating.

Financial Trend, the Newsweekly of South West Industry and Investments, names La Quinta Motor Inns, Inc., in the Top Ten Stocks of 1977. The article states "investors eyeing Southwestern stocks or capital gains should divide their attention among market favorites.  The list identifies the regions stocks they believe will perform best during 1977."

• February, 1977:  President Sam Barshop ascribes La Quinta's success to a number of factors; "knowing who our customer is and filling his needs at a fair price, picking the right location, limiting ourselves to the kinds of services we can supply at a profit, using the most modern cost saving construction techniques, and using the best management people in the industry.

The only meeting space available is in dual-purpose suites with an in-a-door bed and can double as a sleeping room.  We are only interested in serving our primary customer, the commercial traveler.  We won't risk alienating him by having him fight his way through a meeting or convention."

• March, 1977:  La Quinta is ranked 23rd by the American Hotel & Motel Association.  only six of those listed in the top 25 had growth average greater than La Quinta.

La Quinta publishes first national directory, listing all inns owned and managed.

• April, 1977:  "People make a difference" is the theme of the 1977 managers meeting, which was held April 1 and 2 at the La Quinta Royale in Corpus Christi, Texas.  Bill and Myrtle Prather were named Managers of the Year at the Annual Award Luncheon.  Bob Noyes, Vice President - Motor Inn Operations was "roasted" during the meeting.

• June, 1977:  La Quinta adds in-house ad agency to coordinate advertising for inns on a national basis.

La Quinta, Denton opens the first La Quinta handicapped room.  Texas Rehabilitation Center in Denton praises La Quinta as innovative and responsive to the need of the community.

Sam Barshop of La Quinta Motor Inns presents $1000 for a scholarship fund at the Conrad Hilton School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston.

• July, 1977:  La Quinta purchases a Beechcraft King Air turbo-prop plane to serve the company's growing needs more efficiently. 

• August, 1977:  Bob Noyes, Senior Vice President of La Quinta Motor Inns, is elected to the Industry Advisory Council by the American Hotel-Motel Association.

Sam Barshop, Chairman of the Board of La Quinta Motor Inns, was elected to a three year term on the College of Business Administration Foundation Advisory Council at the University of Texas at Austin.

La Quinta #702, Corpus Christi is chosen as the Red Cross headquarters while awaiting Hurricane Anita's arrival on the Texas Coast.

• October, 1977:  La Quinta receives patent on La Quinta trademark.  Translated to English, it means "the country house."

Phil Barshop of La Quinta Motor Inns offers 200,000 shares of La Quinta common stock.  He plans to resign his posts  upon completion of the offering "to pursue family and personal business interests" but will continue to be a director and member of the La Quinta executive committee.

• November, 1977:  American Hotel-Motel Association presents award to La Quinta, Denver Airport for safety.  No reportable injuries to employees, during 1976, qualifies the inn for the award.

Eight rooms at La Quinta, Little Rock, were turned into Needlework Wonderland for three days as factory reps from all over the United States displayed their wares to merchants in Arkansas.

La Quinta Motor Inns, Inc. sells La Quinta, Market Center - Dallas and Rodeway Inn - Capital in Austin.

• December, 1977:  La Quinta, Laredo continues the tradition of thanking guests for their business by hosting a guest appreciation party.   There were 130 in attendance.  Food, drink, laughter, and a good time were had by all.

Phil Barshop resigns post, stays on Board of Directors.  In announcing Phil's resignation, Sam Barshop said, "Over the past 15 years, La Quinta Motor Inns and its predecessor companies have grown and prospered.  Today, we have a depth of management talent, systems, and many loyal, skilled employees to continue the company's business.  The solid base my brother has helped build will serve us all in good stead."

In 1977, six new inns were opened, including two in Houston (Wilcrest and Northwest Freeway), one in Austin (Highland Mall), one in Clute, one in New Orleans (East), and one in St. Louis.  Of those, three were joint ventures.

For the fifth consecutive year, occupancy averaged above 80%.  The average for the year was 86% for motor inns open a year or more.

La Quinta was ranked the 23rd largest lodging chain in the United States in a survey prepared by the American Hotel & Motel Association.   They were also ranked the 43rd largest lodging chain in the world with the third highest occupancy. 

 

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