The Hospitality Group itself came about because Coldwell BankerCommercial's hospitality dealmaking transactions more than doubledfrom 1998 and 1999 and have been growing at a rate of 60% thisyear, necessitating a separate unit to handle the volume. The groupis providing those services through the company's network of morethan 400 owned and affiliated offices.

The Cendant package is a monster-–the world's biggest lodgingfranchiser, it encompasses more than 6,400 hotel properties,operated by some 5,000 franchisees on five continents.Domestically, its franchised hotels play host to more than 90million customers booking 110 million room nights a year. It'sestimated that about one in six hotel guests stay in aCendant-franchised room each year. Those hotels operate under suchwell-known names as Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Ramada, Super 8,Travelodge, Wingate, Knights Inn and Villager Lodge.

"Our market coverage will provide a connection between Cendant'sreal estate and hospitality divisions," according to Coldwell'sJerry Anderson. He's referring to the fact that Cendant hassubstantial interests in residential and other real estate andfinancial operations. Indeed, a number of the company's real estatebrokerage franchisees operate under the Coldwell Banker banner,which gave the Hospitality Group the inside track to begin with.The company also owns Avis car rental and other travel-relatedoperations.