Trump Hotels unveils plans for American idea lodging chain

Trump Hotels, the luxury-lodging company started by the US president, is planning a line of lower-priced properties under the name American Idea, CEO Eric Danziger announced on Monday.

The new hotels will be mid-tier properties, Danziger said at a news conference at the Trump Tower in New York. While Trump Hotels’ existing properties are in such major metropolises as New York, Washington and Chicago, the first three American Idea hotels will be in Mississippi, Donald Trump Jr. said in an interview at the event.

The first three American Idea hotels will be in Cleveland, Clarksdale and Greenvi l le, Mississippi, and will be existi ng proper t ie s retrofitted for the new brand. The hotels are owned by Chawla Hotels, which will license the American Idea name from Trump Hotels. The three properties, once given a new name and American decor, could be open within seven to eight months, said Dinesh Chawla, CEO of the Cleveland, Mississippi-based company.