Choice Hotels International launched a new-construction midscale extended-stay brand with apartment-style accommodation this week: Everhome Suites. The company marked the launch by breaking ground on the brand's first hotel in Corona, Calif.

Choice Hotels has signed multiunit development agreements for 13 hotels in the Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles markets, all of which are anticipated to adopt the Everhome Suites brand. It expects the first Everhome Suites location to open in 2021.

Patrick Pacious, president/CEO of Choice Hotels, said: “We more than tripled the size of our extended-stay portfolio over the past two years and now have over 400 hotels across our well-known brands: WoodSpring Suites, MainStay Suites and Suburban Extended Stay. With rooms and public spaces designed to be just as flexible as guests are, backed by our proven extended-stay operating model, Everhome Suites provides franchisees with another opportunity to capitalise on one of the fastest-growing segments of the hotel industry.”

The prototype included studio and one-bedroom apartment-style layouts, with fully equipped kitchens, spa-like bathrooms and “pet-friendly options so guests can bring their favourite companions on the road”. Everhome Suites properties will include multipurpose lobby areas, fitness centers, business centers, libraries, guest laundry facilities, 24/7 self-service marketplaces and, depending on the market, outdoor pools. Design options will take cues from local culture, including murals by hotel entrances and public space artwork depicting the surrounding area.

"The demand for hotel stays of seven-plus nights is nearly 20 percent of all room nights sold, yet only 9 percent is in the extended-stay segment, according to data from The Highland Group and Kalibri Labs," said Anna Scozzafava, VP of brand strategy and operations, extended stay at Choice Hotels. "Everhome Suites sets out to capture this unmet demand with fresh, modern hotels that satisfy value-conscious consumer preferences for longer-term stays. Our target guest is driven to be successful personally and professionally, and we designed Everhome Suites to empower them to live and work more efficiently on the road so they can tackle whatever comes next.”

As of September 30, 2019, Choice Hotels International's brands encompassed more than 7,000 hotels with nearly 575,000 rooms.