By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune Contributor
The owner of the former Super 8 Motel on Dream Street in Florence changed its name because of what he called a negative image associated with the property.
Another change may soon be in order, however, because owner Mahesh Nichani chose Aston Hotel as the new name for the troubled property.
The Aston Hotel name is already in use by a resort hotel group based in Hawaii that does not want to be associated with the Florence motel.
Bryan Cheplic, a spokesperson for Aston Hotels and Resorts, said Nichani never contacted them for permission to use the name and would not have been allowed to do so if he had.
“We are in the process of contacting the ownership of that property and instructing them that the name is being used without permission and advising them to discontinue its use,” Cheplic said. “We are very protective of our name and we have representatives that do regular searches specifically to prevent this type of unauthorized use.”
Liane L. Kelly, an attorney representing the Aston Hotel Group, issued the following statement on the company’s behalf:
“Please be advised that Aston Hotels & Resorts, LLC, which manages 27 properties in the United States, is not associated in any way with the Florence Aston Hotel. Aston Hotels & Resorts has several registered trade names and steps are being taken to ensure that the unauthorized use of its marks is stopped immediately.”
The use of the Aston Hotel name prompted the action, but Cheplic said the troubled history of the motel is a cause for additional concern.
In 2014, Florence Police responded to more than 300 9-1-1 calls at the motel, including a Dec. 2, incident that resulted in a 16-year-old fatally shooting himself after exchanging gunfire with police. In that instance, a police report states, officers responded to a call of unattended children and drug activity in a room at the motel, which houses long-term residents.
According to the report, the youth fired on an officer who took cover in the bathroom and exchanged fire with the teen.
The youth left the room and the report states several witnesses saw him shoot himself in the head.
The motel, located at 7928 Dream Street, has been the subject of frequent complaints by residents and nearby business owners. It was identified as a nuisance property by the City of Florence under an ordinance enacted in January 2014.
From Jan. 1 to Feb. 18 this year, there were 33 calls for serve to the hotel. Police say the calls often involve drug activity and prostitution.
A petition was circulated and signed by local residents and business owners asking the Wyndam Hotel Group, the parent company of Super 8 motels, to revoke the owner’s franchise agreement.
On January 12, the franchise agreement was terminated, but Wyndam representatives have not indicated why, or at whose request, that action was taken.
“We don’t discuss the details of our relationships with current or former franchisees,” Rob Myers, director, public relations for Wyndham Hotel Group, said in an email.
Florence Mayor Diane Whalen said the city shares the concerns of residents and business owners.
“We are following the letter of the nuisance ordinance as it is written to protect not only the guests of any hotel or business over there, but the citizens as well,” Whalen said. “It’s important to us.”
On Jan, 27, Nichani was granted a temporary advertising display (TAD) by the Boone County Planning Commission, for a banner on a pole sign and other building signs. Florence City officials say the owner failed to inform them of the name change or the TAD request.
“I did not know about the name change until I saw it and sent a message to public services asking if anyone from the city was aware of it,” Whalen said. “The (Boone County) planning commission allowed him to get a temporary advertising display because it was a tarp that was going over an existing sign. That is not the intent of a TAD.”
Temporary advertising displays are generally used to advertise an event, such as the tent sales automobile dealers conduct at Turfway Park on occasion.
Boone County Zoning regulation 34.20 states a TAD can be requested for up to 14 days at a cost of $45 and a business can request up to five permits in one calendar year. The Aston Hotel permit was granted for 70 days and the applicant paid $225, which is the cost of five permits.
When the property was identified as being in violation of the nuisance ordinance, city officials presented an abatement plan to the owner.
“We are supposed to sit down and talk through the abatement plan as it was presented and the revisions that were sent to us by their attorney,” Florence Mayor Diane Whalen said. “It’s not a matter of a preconceived notion because the abatement plan was issued based on the ownership group and the history of the hotel. The city is determined to make sure an abatement plan is in place and is followed and if it’s not, further steps within our nuisance ordinance could be pursued.”
Under the nuisance ordinance, the city could pursue remedies that include revocation of the occupational license or civil action foreclosure.
Currently, no abatement agreement has been signed and the matter could end up in litigation if an agreement cannot be reached.
Aston Hotels and Resorts operates several properties in Hawaii and other vacation destinations such as Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Orlando, Florida.
Its properties include the Aston Montelago Village Resort at Lake Las Vegas and the Aston at the Executive Centre Hotel in Honolulu.
Nichani said he was not familiar with Aston Hotels and Resorts and did not want to comment further because he has not yet received the notification from the company.
“It was just a name that someone suggested to me and I thought it sounded good,” Nichani said.
Aston is not well known in this region and it’s unlikely anyone familiar with the area would mistake the Dream Street property for a resort hotel. Cheplic said visitors from other regions, however, might recognize the name and associate the motel with the resort group.
Nichani recently hired a new manager through an advertisement on Craig’s List that he said has extensive experience in the hospitality industry.
While Nichani said he is trying to turn the troubled hotel around, he also admits he has listed the property for sale.
“We are actively looking for a new owner, a local owner, because I am too far away from the property to keep an eye on things,” Nichani, who lives in West Virginia, said.
Boone County property records list the official owner of the property, which has an assessed value of $2.3 million, as Shivam Hospitality LLC.