Pearland isn’t getting any younger, and neither are its hotels.
But aging hotels and the process known as “deflagging” can affect a community’s image, a city councilman pointed out Monday.
“If somebody came in here and wanted to build a low-end hotel, this council would shut it down,” said Councilman Rushi Patel, himself a hotel owner. “But the issue is current hotels, you cannot stop from de-flagging and making it a lower end hotel.”
Deflagging is a term used when an independent owner discards their franchise and can no longer display brand flags — such as Marriott or Hilton — on the property.
Patel said as Pearland has grown older, he has noted many older hotels morphing into a lower tier brand.
In some communities, one example being Grapevine, hotels are restricted to minimum standards, said Patel, who his encouraged fellow councilmembers to adopt similar restrictions.
“Any time we’re moving in the direction of better quality, that’s something we want,” Mayor Kevin Cole responded. “The devil is always in the details.”
While hotel owners could still de-flag, proposed minimum requirements such number of rooms, maintained amenities and conference space would ensure continued investment in those properties.
Councilman Alex Kamkar was skeptical, saying the suggestion felt like more regulation.
“Even if this ordinance is approved, somebody could go and build a 120-rooms and then go deflag tomorrow, but in theory you haven’t really solved the problem,” he said. “I feel like we have larger items to address.”
In Pearland, hotels require a conditional use permit from the city.
At the end of Monday’s discussion, city staff said they would look further into the possibility and what other cities do.
“From my industry’s point of view, (deflagging) is something I see happening,” Patel said. “I’m just telling you beware.”
