Springfield, Ill.
- Carlson Rezidor's Country Inns & Suites brand recently opened here its
first hotel featuring a new design. The brand aims to have within a year about
10 percent to 15 percent of its portfolio featuring at least some elements of
the new design.
The new design modernizes some of the brand's recognizable
features. Rather than the homey porch with rocking chairs, there is a veranda
with a fire pit. Rather than hardwood floors, common areas have paneled flooring
with hardwood touches on the front desk, ceiling and walls. The design also
features a softer paint and carpeting color scheme and a more eclectic
collection of furniture in guest rooms.
In addition to the Springfield, Ill., location, the brand
expects to open within the next nine months or so several other new properties with
the new design, said Scott Meyer, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group senior vice
president of midscale brands in the Americas. Those include properties in
Bozeman, Mont.; Roseville, Minn.; Katy, Texas; Enid, Okla.; Charlottesville,
Va.; and Asheville, N.C. Several existing hotels are converting to the new
design, including properties in Frederick, Md.; Rochester, N.Y.; and San
Antonio, Meyer said.
Carlson Rezidor, however, is not pushing for a swift
conversion across its entire 470-property portfolio.
"If they opened two years ago or just finished a
renovation a year ago, they're fine," Meyer said. "It's still a
relevant design, and during the next renovation cycle, they can start
renovating to this."
Many hotels will phase in renovations, perhaps concentrating
on one major project each year, such as replacing their wood flooring or bringing
in new furnishings. Even the newest properties might take a small
step—replacing duvets to conform with the new color schemes, for example.
By this time next year, Meyer said he expects that up to 15
percent of the brand will have some aspects of the new design, "and that
will continue to build almost every month as you move forward."
The new design comes as Country Inns & Suites continues to
pursue more corporate transient business. Government business is one of the
brand's sweet spots, and while it had been affected by last year's shutdown and
spending cuts, "we're seeing that business come back," according to
Meyer.
The brand also has benefited vis-à-vis corporate transient
business from Carlson Rezidor's corporate rate program launched a few years
ago, providing a larger source of corporate travel outside the traditional
request-for-proposals process.
"Most of our hotels are independently owned and
operated and have 75 to 80 rooms, so it's difficult for them to have full-time
sales people," Meyer said. "Corporations can deal with one contact to
get them to accept us into their hotel program, and we can reach out to the
hotels and say, 'Company XYZ has a need for rooms in their market,' and see
what rate they can provide them."
Country Inns & Suites seeks to grow its footprint, not
just in the United States where it still has "white space," but also
in a few select international markets. India is one of its key focus areas
right now, with a tweaked design that includes a restaurant serving three meals
per day—a requirement for success in India's midscale tier, Meyer said. Canada
and Latin America also are regions where the brand intends to expand, he added.