In 1969, Rood convinced his bosses to open a Seattle office. Then there was a backlash against the big firms. Clients wanted more hands-on involvement at the partner level. This involvement includes helping developers, builders, buyers and operators of hotels and motels with financial auditing, market research, trend analysis, brokerage service and operational advice. Olsen has provided expert testimony in the case of a Boston hotel drowning.
Rood publishes a monthly survey of statewide hotel occupancy rates.
Jinneman manages hotels in Leavenworth and Port Townsend. But most typically, the consulting firms work with developers who have purchased land and are trying to decide what type of hotel to build on it. Though they might consult computerized databases and employ sophisticated financial models, it is not an exact science. Human judgment plays a significant role, added Jinneman. Rood once reviewed a feasibility study another consultant had done for a proposed hotel near a freeway.