Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> July 10, 2000
ROBERT S. COLE is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lodgian,
Inc., located in Atlanta, GA. Lodgian was formed as a result of the
December 1998 merger between Servico and Impac Hotel Group. Today
Lodgian is one of the hotel industry's largest owner/operators with 127
hotels totaling more than 24,000 rooms in 35 states and Canada. The
organization currently employs more than 11,000 associates and is one of
the largest Bass & Marriott franchisees. A native of upstate New York,
Mr. Cole officially began his career in the hospitality business as a
busboy for a Steak & Ale Restaurant in the late 1970s. Even before that,
Mr. Cole learned about the hotel business growing up, as his father was
a very active and hands-on owner/operator. Mr. Cole graduated Magna Cum
Laude with a degree in Hotel Administration from the University of New
Hampshire in 1984. From there, Mr. Cole held several general manager
positions at various hotels throughout the country. Mr. Cole was the
President of Impac since its inception in 1990. He led the company's
growth plan, which featured a combination of developing new hotels and
acquiring and repositioning under-performing, under-valued hotels. The
company grew from one hotel in 1990 to 55 by year-end 1998. Profile
history and profile on Lodgian?
Mr. Cole: Lodgian is one of the largest, independent owner/operators of
hotels in the United
