Steve’s breakdown: The “We’ll leave the light on for you” campaign is one of the most successful and longest running in the ad biz but with the new owners, the media account could move.

NEW YORK, NY & CARROLLTON, TX: Motel 6 and Studio 6, the no-frills budget hotel chains that once offered rooms for $6 a night, are being sold by French parent Accor for $1.9 billion.

Their new owner, an affiliate of private equity firm Blackstone Group, already owns Hilton Worldwide. Blackstone’s Real Estate Partners VII fund said it plans to “accelerate the expansion of the franchise base” for Motel 6 and Studio 6.

Accor said it will use proceeds from the sale to slash its debt and grow its luxury Sofitel and Novotel hotels in expanding markets such as Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Motel 6 has struggled recently, trying to revamp its aesthetics and amenities but still failing to perform as well as Accor’s other brands. The chain features occasionally in popular culture, making appearances in a Yo La Tengo song, a Stephen King book and in a Simpsons episode.

More Americans plan to travel this Memorial Day weekend — but many will be following a budget, according to a survey last week from Deloitte. The hospitality industry is gradually recovering from the recession, when travel dropped significantly and occupancy levels in hotels slumped to their lowest levels since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Last year, a record number of foreign visitors boosted overall tourism spending in the U.S. to $1.2 trillion, an 8.1% increase.

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