US: Ron Rivett, the co-founder and chairman of My Place Hotels of America, has passed away aged 83.
Rivett co-founded the Super 8 Motels chain with friend Dennis Brown in 1974. Under Rivett’s leadership, the brand reached 1,000 locations in less than 20 years. The business was sold to Hospitality Franchise Systems in 1993 and is now called Super 8 by Wyndham.
My Place Hotels of America was established in 2012 alongside Rivett’s grandson, Ryan Rivett. Today, the upper-midscale, extended-stay brand has a portfolio of 70 open properties across 29 states with a further 120 hotels in the pipeline.
The company is based in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where Rivett lived his entire life.
R. Rivett said: “Ron was an entrepreneur in every sense of the word and every endeavour he took on, always finding ways to improve. His foresight was uncanny and his ability to cast vision remarkable to say the least. In his ever-pragmatic approach, Ron diligently ensured that the value and integrity of the businesses he created would be well positioned to proceed long after he was gone.”
He added: “Quick-witted, charming, intelligent, and fiercely loyal, it’s difficult to know what Ron would say if he were here today. He loved his country, home, family, and business out loud and unapologetically. His memory and legacy will continue, providing value for generations, and we will miss him dearly.”
