IHG Hotels & Resorts Introduces New Designs for Suite Hotels

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), a prominent global hospitality company boasting over 6,300 hotels spanning 19 esteemed brands, is proud to unveil new prototype options for its trio of suites brands: Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, and Atwell Suites. This announcement heralds a significant expansion of design choices, offering developers enhanced flexibility across diverse site configurations and market landscapes, all while preserving the exceptional guest experiences synonymous with the flourishing suites sector.

These fresh options prioritize space optimization and operational efficiencies while retaining the core elements of existing designs. Importantly, they complement rather than replace the current offerings for all three brands, empowering owners and developers to tailor their properties to fit their specific market and site requirements, whether it involves new construction, conversion, dual branding, or adaptive reuse projects.

While specific dimensions and key counts will vary based on property and brand, the new designs prioritize the retention of beloved brand attributes, such as ample in-room storage, well-appointed kitchen spaces, and inviting communal dining areas. Key highlights of the new design options include:

Staybridge Suites: Introducing the innovative Smart Studio room configuration, providing developers with the option to incorporate a more compact room bay (reduced from 16’ to 13’). Tailored for shorter stays, these suites could constitute up to 25 percent of the overall room mix. Featuring streamlined kitchen amenities and optimized cabinetry, these guest suites maintain dedicated areas for work, rest, and relaxation, ensuring a comfortable, residential-style experience.

Candlewood Suites: Building upon the success of the brand’s previous design iteration, the Beacon 4.2 variant enhances land utilization and operational efficiencies through increased building density. With slimmer room bays (reduced from 15’3” to 12’6”), fully equipped kitchens, signature recliners, and versatile room configurations, this prototype offers the potential to accommodate up to 12 additional keys on similarly sized sites.

Atwell Suites: Developers now have the flexibility to choose between two lobby configurations for Atwell Suites properties, with a new centrally loaded one-story model supplementing the existing two-story end-loaded design. Both configurations feature adaptable workspaces, inviting lounges, and well-appointed dining areas. Additionally, a slimmer room bay option (12’6” versus 16’8”) offers a wet bar, sofa, and work desk, potentially adding up to 12 keys on similarly sized sites.

Kevin Schramm, SVP of Development, Mainstream Brands – U.S. and Canada at IHG, said: “IHG continues to build on our nearly three decades of leadership in the extended stay and suites space by evolving our prototype designs to increase owner value while offering the spaces and amenities short- and long-term travelers value most. Our new concepts reflect guest and owner feedback, and enable new and existing owners to deliver our modern suite experiences – in various forms – to more markets without compromising consistency or quality.”

The new prototype options are set to roll out by Q2 2024, with the initial properties showcasing them slated to debut as early as 2025. Presently, these designs are exclusively available to U.S. properties, with potential for future expansion into Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

With over 700 operational properties globally—predominantly in the Americas—across its three suites brands, IHG maintains its position as a distinguished leader in the segment. Staybridge Suites commemorated its 25th anniversary last December, while Candlewood Suites, since its inception in 1996, has expanded its footprint to over 520 operational or planned hotels in the Americas, including recent openings in Salt Lake City and Houston in 2023. Atwell Suites, having launched its third U.S. property in Austin, Texas earlier this month, now boasts a presence alongside hotels in Denver and Miami.

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