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                                                                   Exhibit 10.55

                                              AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

         FIRST AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this "Amendment") dated as of
November __, 2002, by and between Lodgian, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and David Hawthorne (the "Executive"). Capitalized terms used herein
but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings specified in the
Employment Agreement between the foregoing parties, dated November 1, 2001 (the
"Employment Agreement").

                               W I T N E S S E T H
                               - - - - - - - - - -

         WHEREAS, the parties hereto entered into the Employment Agreement; and

         WHEREAS, Section 13(c) of the Employment Agreement allows the parties
to amend or modify the Employment Agreement by a written agreement executed by
the parties thereto, and the parties hereto desire to amend the Employment
Agreement as set forth herein;

         NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED:

         1.       Amendment.

         (a)      Section 5 of the Employment Agreement shall be supplemented by
inserting the following language at the end of such section:

                  "(d)     Termination by the Executive. If the Executive and
         the Company do not reach an agreement on (i) a new mutually
         satisfactory employment agreement and (ii) a long term incentive
         compensation agreement within six months from the effective date of the
         First Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Lodgian Inc., et al.,
         dated November 1, 2002, then the Executive may, at his discretion,
         terminate his employment with the Company, and, in the event of such
         termination, the Company shall, within thirty (30) days after such
         termination, make a lump sum cash payment to the Executive in the
         amount equal to the sum of:

                           (i)      the greater of (x) two times the Base Salary
                  in effect on the date of such termination and (y) the Base
                  Salary in effect on the date of such termination multiplied by
                  the number of years remaining in the Employment Period (plus,
                  if the remaining Employment Period includes a period of less
                  than a full year, a pro rated amount of the Base Salary for
                  the number of full months remaining in the Employment Period);

                           (ii)     the Executive's Base Salary payable through
                  the date of such termination to the extent not already paid;

                           (iii)    the Executive's actual earned annual bonus
                  for any completed fiscal year or period not theretofore paid;


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                           (iv)     reimbursement for any expenses for which the
                  Executive shall not have theretofore been reimbursed, as
                  provided in Section 4; and

                           (v)      the unpaid portion of any amounts earned by
                  the Executive prior to the date of such termination pursuant
                  to any benefit program in which the executive participated
                  during the Employment Period, including without limitation any
                  accrued vacation pay to the extent not theretofore paid."

         (b)      Section 6(b)(A) of the Employment Agreement is hereby amended
by deleting the current language and inserting the following in lieu thereof:

         "the greater of (x) two times the Base Salary in effect upon
consummation of the Change of Control and (y) the Base Salary in effect upon
consummation of the Change of Control multiplied by the number of years
remaining in the Employment Period (plus, if the remaining Employment Period
includes a period of less than a full year, a pro rated amount of the Base
Salary for the number of full months remaining in the Employment Period);"

                  2.       Counterparts; Effectiveness. This Amendment may be
         signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an
         original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto
         were upon the same instrument. This Amendment shall become effective
         when each party to this Amendment shall have received a counterpart
         hereof signed by the other party hereto.

                  3.       Governing Law. This Amendment shall be governed by
         and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia,
         without reference to principles of conflict of laws.

                  4.       Agreement as Amended. This Amendment is limited as
         specified and shall not constitute a modification, acceptance or waiver
         of any other provision of the Employment Agreement. From and after the
         date hereof, all references to the Asset Purchase Agreement shall be
         deemed references to the Asset Purchase Agreement as amended and
         supplemented hereby.





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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be duly
executed as of the date first set forth above.


                                   LODGIAN, INC.


                                   By:
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                      Name:  Daniel E. Ellis
                                      Title:  Vice President and Secretary


                                   DAVID HAWTHORNE


                                   By:
                                      ------------------------------------------



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