<B> Suites Redesign, Expand</B>
By Lynn Woods
To stay competitive amidst a market of increasingly discriminating customers, many extended-stay brands are enlarging their suites, expanding the work area and putting a new emphasis on public spaces.
Residence Inn by Marriott, for example, which is entering generation seven of its design cycle, is creating a "more functional and flexible"workspace in the suites, according to Tim Sheldon, vice president of marketing. In some instances, this will involve adding square footage, although in most suites it's a matter of simply reorganizing the space.
Meanwhile, Marriott is working to make dual-line phones and voicemail, which are standard features at all Towneplace Suites, Residence Inn's newer sister brand, standard amenities at all Residence Inns as well.
Residence Inn's redesign also seeks to make the lobby area more efficient and homey. Generation X travelers in particular are prone to flopping down in front of the TV in the lobby and plugging in their laptops, Shelton said. "They're willing to work anywhere." The new lobby will expand upon the old design, which catered mainly to guests having breakfast with seating designed to enable guests to hang out--that is, in corporate parlance, to hold a meeting or get work done.
Meanwhile, Homewood Suites plans to upgrade the business center in each of its properties by adding a small table ideal for meetings. In addition, the separate meeting room on the second floor has been moved to the first floor--a cost savings.
The brand also is shifting the door of the 24-hour convenience store in each hotel to abut the front desk, to ensure that it's visible to incoming guests. "We found a lot of our customers are unaware we have these shops in the hotel," said Doug McCorkle, vice president of brand management.
Homewood also is creating a more residential feel in the rooms by, for example, replacing open shelving with cabinetry. McCorkle noted that the homey "lodge," a common area for breakfast and manager's receptions, is one of the differentials of his brand: The space is inviting and club-like, with a high, vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace.
Mainstay Suites, currently in generation two of its prototype design, is enlarging its rooms, increasing the closet space and adding a vanity in the bathroom. Designers also are warming up the rooms by adding wallpaper borders and other home-like details. Mainstay also features customized, quality mattresses akin to what people have at home.
Value-oriented Villager Lodge also is increasing the size of its rooms, from 12 x 28 feet to 12 x 30 feet, said Ken Rogers, president and CEO of Villager Franchise Systems Inc. In addition, it is attempting to better define the work/entertainment space, which in the past was "the bed or the kitchen," noted Rogers. Now there's a desk with dataports, more expansive TV programming, a VCR and voicemail. "Technology is the hottest trend," said Rogers. "In addition to larger rooms and TV remotes, guests want to start their day with technology."
Like many of its competitors, Villager Lodge also features barbecue grills near the pool, to encourage mingling. "After work, the extended-stay guest wants to be in a more social climate,"said Rogers.
Budget-tier competitor Suburban Lodges of America, founded 11 years ago, started out with a no-frills prototype with an exterior corridor, but since has moved to a design with an interior corridor and, most recently, the "Suburban Lodge Extra," which features not only an interior corridor but also larger rooms with better quality furniture.
The "Extra" prototype has been developed for high-tech commercial areas and has rates ranging from $199 to $299 a week, said brand president Greg Plank. He added that the original plan, with weekly rates from $150 to $199, still is built in some areas of the Southeast.
Meanwhile, upper-tier brand Embassy Suites has developed a smaller, 150-room prototype for tertiary markets. The scaled-down model was designed both to meet the different demands of smaller markets and hasten development of the brand. Traditional Embassy Suites, which are all new-built and include luxurious features such as atriums, are expensive to develop. "It costs a lot of money to open an Embassy Suites," says senior director of brand marketing John Lee.
The prototype will cut down on construction costs by featuring all the Embassy Suites amenities--the atrium, restaurant, pool and meeting space--in one large box. "In standard properties, the restaurant, meeting space and parking area are additions," said Lee. "The atrium will still be in the prototype, but it will be surrounded only by four or five floors. The ADR will be the same." Embassy so far has opened six of the smaller models in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando and Washington's Dulles Airport.