The joke went over my head as well, but I agree with your point.

There's no consistency with Quality Inns - some are incredible values (Port Angeles WA and San Luis Obispo CA come to mind) and others are filled with low-caliber permanent residents (College Park GA or South Portland ME Comfort Inn). Choice has 12 (twelve!) hotel brands and I find it hard to differentiate between them.

What's the difference between a Rodeway Inn and Econolodge? What differentiates Comfort/Sleep/Quality Inn? Even some Ascend hotels (Somerset NJ) are worse than the Quality Inns I mentioned above.

Seems each individual hotel is its own fiefdom, for better or worse.