Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Choice Hotels International, a prominent global lodging franchisor, has achieved a significant milestone by inaugurating its 100th Suburban Studios hotel. This accomplishment underscores the success of its go-to-market growth strategy, which has resulted in a remarkable 45 percent growth in just 18 months. Following the successful relaunch of the Suburban Studios brand in 2022, complete with a design and brand identity refresh, the brand has experienced unprecedented expansion, with five hotels opening in October and eight in November. The 100th Suburban Studios is now welcoming guests in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Ron Burgett, Senior Vice President of Extended Stay Development at Choice Hotels, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to have 100 Suburban Studios open, and we look forward to the next 100. Our innovative solutions to accelerate conversions, coupled with our business strategy, have fueled sustained growth within the segment.”
The rapid success of Suburban Studios is attributed in part to Choice Hotels’ efficient conversion process, which allows developers to transform existing properties into Suburban Studios in just three to four months. The demand for extended stays outpaces the supply of purpose-built extended stay products, making it one of the hottest segments in the hospitality industry. Choice Hotels, as a leader in this segment, has capitalized on opportunities, particularly in conversions.
Choice Hotels’ introduction of “Kitchen in a Box,” a modular kitchen design package for Suburban Studios in spring 2022, has contributed to the swift conversion timeline. This package empowers franchisees to convert almost any transient hotel into an extended stay hotel quickly and easily.
Highlighting the effectiveness of the approach, Matt McElhare, Senior Director overseeing Extended Stay initiatives at Choice Hotels, underscored the strategy’s triumph, noting, “Following the revitalization of Suburban Studios, two-thirds of developers have embraced Kitchen in a Box to venture into the extended stay sector.”
Despite higher interest rates, Choice Hotels remains optimistic about extended stay projects in the pipeline. The milestone of opening 100 Suburban Studios within the last year and a half reinforces Choice’s leadership position in the extended stay segment. In the first nine months of 2023, extended stay hotel openings grew by 38 percent compared to the same period in 2022. Choice’s extended stay domestic pipeline increased by 12 percent year over year, reaching over 47,000 rooms in the third quarter of the current year.
Suburban Studios is designed to cater to the needs of extended stay travelers, offering an “Extended Stay Made Easy” experience with clean and spacious guestrooms, in-room kitchens, modern design, friendly service, discounted long-stay rates, and the flexibility to book longer stays on the go.
Choice Hotels, known for its franchise-first focus and industry-leading retention rate, has been supporting hotel owners since launching the country’s first hotel chain in 1941. Today, Choice provides franchisees with cutting-edge cloud-based solutions, including the choiceEDGE guest reservation platform and the choiceADVANTAGE property management system, along with the widely awarded Choice University learning program. This comprehensive support helps hotel owners maximize the return on their investment from pre-opening to everyday operations.
Tags: choice hotels, hotels, Suburban Studios
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
