Red Roof Inn is a Columbus, Ohio-based hotel chain in the United States, owned by Accor. As a chain catering to budget-minded travelers, Red Roof properties are often distinguished by the large dark-red shingle roof that gave them their name. There are over 350 Red Roof locations in 48 states.
At the beginning, all of its properties were newly-built and not rebranded from other chains. After the purchase by Accor, this policy was dropped, and some new Red Roof locations came about by rebranding existing motels.
Before it was bought by Accor Red Roof Inns were not franchised and run by the company. This provided a sameness and exact quality control that was lost when the franchising took over.
The original slogan was "Sleep Cheap." T-Shirts were sold on property with this slogan and the public bought them up. In 1987-88 Red Roof Inn's prices were increased due to inflation and the prices of the chain, while still lower than most of its direct competitiors like Budgetel (now Baymont), and Days Inn, was too high to be cheap. Thus the slogan was changed to "Hit The Roof."
In the mid 1990s, actor Martin Mull starred in a series of television and radio advertisements for Red Roof Inn.