Exel Inn

Exel Inn was an American lodging chain headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Its origins date to 1972, when David Stauffacher established the first property under the name Interstate Inn on East Towne Boulevard in Madison. The business was developed as a family-operated motel and hotel chain, with Stauffacher continuing to run it alongside his family throughout the brand's existence. The original Interstate Inn name did not remain in use. Stauffacher had designed the chain's initial logo around the shield associated with the United States Interstate Highway System, but he was unable to obtain copyright protection for that logo. In response, he changed the motel and chain name to Exel Inn in 1974. The renaming established the identity under which the business subsequently expanded. Exel Inn remained a regional American lodging operator rather than an internationally distributed hospitality group. Its portfolio eventually reached 22 hotels. The chain's properties formed the principal expression of the brand: accommodation businesses operated under a shared name and family management structure rather than a broad portfolio of separately positioned consumer products. No separate product divisions or signature offerings are identified in the available reference material. A major turning point came in 2008, when Stauffacher sold the 22-property chain to Wyndham Worldwide. The transaction ended the independent Exel Inn operating model. Wyndham did not preserve the Exel Inn name as a continuing national brand. Instead, it reassigned and rebranded all 22 properties across several existing Wyndham-affiliated flags: Days Inn, Baymont Inn & Suites, Super 8 Motel, Howard Johnson's, and Travelodge. As a result, Exel Inn is best understood as a defunct regional hotel-chain brand. Its historical significance lies in its development from a single Madison motel into a 22-hotel family-operated chain, followed by its absorption into a larger hospitality company's multi-brand network. The available sources do not provide detailed information about room formats, loyalty programs, advertising campaigns, financial terms, individual property locations beyond the original Madison site, or management beyond founder David Stauffacher.

Exel Inn began in 1972 in Madison, Wisconsin, when David Stauffacher opened the first property on East Towne Boulevard under the name Interstate Inn. The business was operated with the involvement of Stauffacher's family, a management model that continued throughout the chain's history. The original name was changed in 1974. The first motel's logo incorporated the shield associated with the Interstate Highway System, but Stauffacher was unable to obtain a copyright for the chain's original logo. He therefore renamed the motel and the developing chain Exel Inn. The new name became the identity used for the company's subsequent lodging operations. Over time, Exel Inn expanded from its initial Madison property into a regional American hotel chain. By the time of its sale, the chain comprised 22 hotels. The available reference does not specify the complete property list, the precise pace of expansion, or the chain's detailed operating and marketing practices. It does establish that the business remained under Stauffacher family operation during this period. In 2008, Stauffacher sold Exel Inn to Wyndham Worldwide. The sale transferred a 22-property lodging portfolio to a large hospitality company with multiple established hotel brands. Wyndham chose not to maintain Exel Inn as a continuing chain identity. Instead, every property was assigned a new brand, with conversions to Days Inn, Baymont Inn & Suites, Super 8 Motel, Howard Johnson's, or Travelodge. These conversions effectively ended Exel Inn as an active hotel brand. The chain's history therefore consists of three principal phases: its establishment as Interstate Inn in Madison in 1972; its renaming as Exel Inn in 1974 after the logo-copyright problem; and its expansion and eventual absorption into Wyndham Worldwide's brand portfolio in 2008. Beyond these events, the available material does not document separate product lines, major advertising programs, public controversies, financial results, or named executives other than its founder.

• 2008

  Sale to Wyndham Worldwide

  [1]Exel Innen.wikipedia.org

  Stauffacher sold the chain, which then had 22 hotels, to Wyndham Worldwide.

• 2008

  All properties are rebranded

  [1]Exel Innen.wikipedia.org

  Wyndham converted the former Exel Inn properties to Days Inn, Baymont Inn & Suites, Super 8 Motel, Howard Johnson's, or Travelodge.

• 1974

  Interstate Inn is renamed Exel Inn

  [1]Exel Innen.wikipedia.org

  The name changed after Stauffacher could not obtain copyright protection for the original logo, which used the Interstate Highway System shield.

• 1972

  First property opens as Interstate Inn

  [1]Exel Innen.wikipedia.org

  David Stauffacher founded the lodging business and opened its first property on East Towne Boulevard in Madison, Wisconsin, under the Interstate Inn name.

A family-operated regional American lodging chain serving hotel and motel guests under a common brand.

• Lodging · 1972

  Exel Inn hotels and motels

  The Exel Inn brand consisted of hotel and motel properties serving travelers in the United States. It developed from a single Madison, Wisconsin, property into a 22-hotel chain before its 2008 sale. The available source does not identify individual room categories, amenities, loyalty products, or other standardized services.

• 2008

  Sell Exel Inn to Wyndham WorldwideM&A

  Background

  The family-operated chain had grown to 22 hotels when David Stauffacher sold it to Wyndham Worldwide.

  Action taken

  Wyndham Worldwide acquired the chain and integrated its properties into existing Wyndham-associated hotel brands.

  Aftermath

  All 22 properties were rebranded as Days Inn, Baymont Inn & Suites, Super 8 Motel, Howard Johnson's, or Travelodge, ending Exel Inn's operation as a distinct brand.

  Source

• 1974

  Rename the chain Exel InnStrategy

  Background

  The original Interstate Inn identity used a logo incorporating the Interstate Highway System shield, but the founder could not obtain copyright protection for that logo.

  Action taken

  David Stauffacher changed the motel and chain name from Interstate Inn to Exel Inn.

  Aftermath

  Exel Inn became the brand identity used for the chain's subsequent operations.

  Source

1. 1Exel Innen.wikipedia.org