Trump Organization to debut ‘American Idea’ hotel chain

The Trump Organization was expected to announce plans for a new three-star hotel chain with a patriotic theme called “American Idea” on Monday.

Eric Danziger, the chief executive of the company’s hotels division, told The New York Times that the chain will debut in Mississippi.

“There is no political thought to it,” he said of the line starting in a state that President Trump won by about 18 points during the 2016 presidential election.

{mosads}Danziger said there ultimately could be “many hundreds” of American Idea hotels in both blue and red states.

The Trump Organization executive added that President Trump’s sons, who have taken over business operations while he’s in office, saw space for a chain of hotels in small and midsize cities during their father’s campaign last year.

“I said, ‘That’s brilliant,’” Danziger said of the concept. “The reality is we should have something in those kinds of locations.”

The Times reported that the first hotels are expected to come online soon, as they involve rebranding existing Comfort Inn and Holiday Inn properties.

American Idea hotels will reportedly display artifacts of American culture such as old Coca-Cola vending machines in the lobby and U.S.-made sundries in the rooms.

Danziger said the new hotels will have no overt connection to Trump, whose name will not appear on the properties.

He added that the company had planned a hotel expansion for about two years before Trump’s 2016 bid.

The Times reported that the Trump Organization filed for a trademark on the American Idea name in April 2016.

Trump handed over control of the Trump Organization to his sons Eric and Donald Jr. and other executives in January.

Critics have argued that President Trump’s vast business empire presents a conflict of interest with his administration.