The Extended Stay Lodging Optionby Ron
Callari
The demand for extended-stay lodging has
existed since savvy travelers found the time and the
inclination to travel away from home for business or leisure.
The extended-stay concept dates back to 19th century England
when wayfarers arrived at inns and rooming houses in
horse-drawn carriages, and travel was a more leisurely affair
than it is today.
The man credited with inventing the US
extended stay product is Jack DeBoer, who started Residence
Inn (later sold to Marriott) and remains active with
Candlewood Suites.
Today, brands such as Homestead, Extended
Stay America, and others have raised the bar in terms of value
offered to travelers. The traditional hotel product is losing
share to facilities that can provide guests with a home away
from home - at a good rate. It is a viable lodging alternative
for the business person or leisure travelers accustomed to
more expensive hotels and resorts.
The lexicon of extended stay in its many
variations can be attributed in part to its history of
development. In the United States, extended-stay lodging has
been adopted by the hotel industry as an extension of what it
has to offer the traveling public. As such, the market is
primarily comprised of three extended-stay products: (1)
all-suite hotels; (2) limited-service hotels; and (3) serviced
apartments, the corporate housing market.
As lodging in general experiences a slow
down in the economy, this segment of the industry continues to
attract high demand. Extended stay hotels, which escalated in
number and brand just a few years back are current industry
leaders in occupancy according to The Highland Group in
Atlanta, a consultancy firm that has been following trends in
the extended stay market since the early 80s.
And there's good reason for their
popularity. Guests like the built-in kitchen facilities and
the residential atmosphere. The services that often include
grocery outlets (Summerfield Suites by Wyndham includes a
small convenience store in the majority of their hotels) and
lower daily rates are attractive incentives.
Corporate apartments usually involve
longer stays - often defined by a lease and a minimum-stay of
one month. Oakwood Corporate Housing, the longtime leader, now
has 20,000 apartments in 22 states. They boast full-size
apartments that include fully stocked kitchens, utilities and
housekeeping services. And, because they are Federal Emergency
Management Association certified locations, these facilities
appeal to people who work for and are reimbursed by the
government.
One of the leaders in the field continues
to be Residence Inn by Marriott - a pioneer in the extended
stay arena. Marriott also has other brands within the market:
TownePlace Suites and SpringHill Suites, mid-level extended
stay; ExecuStay by Marriott, corporate apartments in the US;
and Executive Apartments in Europe. Most of these Marriott
brands adapted to the wired business needs of the customer
looking for extra phone lines and data port outlets. The
Residence Inn has installed extra hookups in business meeting
rooms as well, and Marriott International is in the process of
installing high-speed access in all its properties.
Homestead, designed specifically for the
extended stay traveler, features studio rooms with a fully
equipped kitchen, plus a workspace with computer dataport,
free local phone calls and personalized voicemail. All at
surprisingly affordable rates.
At Homestead Suites the lobby is equipped
with a pantry and a fireplace. Continental breakfast is served
daily and the services (similar to a traditional business
hotel) include a meeting room, FAX and copy center, an indoor
pool with whirlpool, fitness room and game room. The suites
include a living room with sofa sleeper, fireplace, cable TV,
VCR, wet bar and deck. A separate bedroom with a king-size bed
includes an ensuite bathroom, with a two-person whirlpool tub.
Kitchens are equipped with sink, refrigerator, microwave and
coffee maker.
With 112 locations to date in key
business markets across the United States, Homestead provides
a quality lodging experience for the growing ranks of
travelers staying four nights or more. The company targets
large corporate customers with multi-location extended stay
needs and offers nightly, weekly and monthly rates.
Hotels on the upper tier can perform many
homelike services for you. At Homewood Suites by Hilton,
according to Jim Holthouser, senior vice president of brand
management, "We do things like free grocery shopping; there's
a sheet hanging on the refrigerator and you just check off
what you need."
In addition to Homewood Suites by Hilton
at the high end, Residence Inns and the Summerfield Suites by
Wyndham are considered on equal par. In the middle are
Candlewood, Mainstay Suites (a Choice Hotels brand), Sierra
Suites, Staybridge Suites and TownePlace, and in the economy
tier are Extended Stay America, Homestead Village and Suburban
Lodge. According to the American Hotel & Lodging
Association, the average length of stay in 1999 was 33 nights
at the budget level, 15 to 18 nights in the mid-market and
nine nights at the upscale end.
The current generation of extended-stay
hotels, however, is dominated by properties that are priced in
the mid- to lower-end range. Like the upper end, these
moderate-price, extended-stay properties offer a
residential-style guest unit, albeit with more modest
furnishings. However, unlike the upper-end extended-stay
hotels, the moderate-price properties are designed to welcome
the price-sensitive, extended-stay travelers.
At the high end and not often associated
with the extended stay market, the Ritz Carlton lures
long-term business travelers who account for approximately 4
percent of its clientele. Ritz hotels offer high-speed
connections in each guest room, and every U.S. location boasts
an on-site "technology butler." Always available, this live
tech wizard bails out guests who run into technical glitches.
A Ritz-Carlton business travel sales manager consults with
each customer to identify his or her needs and will arrange
anything from providing an in-room exercise bike to arranging
for daily pressing services.
The chain is converting three suites at
its Atlanta property into extended-stay units by adding full
kitchens and larger parlors than usual. The Residential Suites
at the Ritz-Carlton Towers in Boston offers 63 extended-stay
units.
Of course, one big reason to choose
extended stay if you are on a long trip is the availability of
frequency points at extended stay brands run by the likes of
Marriott, Hilton and Six Continents. Don't forget to ask to
sign up for these programs.
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