Larry Daniel was looking to add something a little different - call it the "wow factor" - to a new facility in Columbus, OH, for Accor Economy Lodging, parent company of the Red Roof Inn and Motel 6 chains. He found it, and turned a vacant automobile dealership into a state-of-the-art reservation center that will handle approximately seven million customer phone calls annually.

"We wanted to create an environment with a wow factor," Daniel said, Accor's senior vice president for reservations. "We were looking for something unique and appealing to help us attract and retain good employees in a relatively tight labor market."