Beautiful uncancelled certificate from the Royal Inns of America issued in 1970. This historic document was printed by American Banknote Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of the company logo. This item has the signatures of the Company's President and Secretary and is over 37 years old.
Certificate Vignette Earl Gagosian started Royal Inns of America based on a concept of being able to produce a quality hotel for lower cost per room than competing firms because of construction techniques he pioneered. Earl Gagosian began in the hotel business as a 23-year-old construction supervisor with TraveLodge. He advanced to vice president before leaving the company in 1965. He then founded the Royal Inns of America, serving as president and chairman of the board for seven years while the company built 69 hotels. In 1980 he founded Continental Inns Inc. with his son Wayne Earl. That company has built a chain of hotels in the Southwest, which in 1987 became part of Howard Johnson Franchise Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Prime Motor Inns, Inc.