CARROLLTON, TX – Following a poor earnings report, Motel 6 is cutting costs that reach to the very heart of its brand and not everyone is happy at the “green” move.
We’ll Leave The Light On For You
The famous trademark slogan, “We’ll leave the light on for you” is no longer true at Motel 6. After a poor quarterly earnings report the discount roadside motel chain is cutting costs everywhere it can, including turning the lights off.
“Our franchisees and corporate-owned motels have struggled despite spiked demand in the last year. We hate to see [leaving the light on] go, it’s been a symbol of our hospitality for years, but something had to give.” Jacob Donnely, VP of Operations at Motel 6 said.
Effectively immediately, all lights will be turned off at Motel 6’s across the nation.
Social media for the brand didn’t let the news sit long before repackaging the measure as a green initiative. One Myspace post read, “Going green one light bulb at a time.”
Others commented, “First Cracker Barrel, now the Six!? Such a shame.”
Inflation
The motel chain has cited several reasons but according to the company’s most recent SEC filing (Q2 2022), management cited rising costs and inflation as the motivator. The company outlined several measures to account for lower margins against higher costs including replacing wrapped bars of soap in the rooms without the plastic, vacuuming with less precision, and reducing hot water expenses – all of which the chain claim are greener choices.
The motel has been unsuccessful in raising rates to compensate for higher costs and has struggled to fully monetize its targeted demographic of Johns.
Moth Problem
As a secondary benefit, the company will save on additional pest control costs related to the moths attracted to Motel 6 lights outside of the reception office.
“We looked at the totality of the situation. We were spending more than $4MM corporately to combat moths that collected around our “light” every year. That’s just one more confirmation that this is the right move.”
LOL. Nice one.