Hilton's Homewood Suites launches new prototype
Homewood Suites by Hilton has unveiled a brand refresh that includes a new prototype and updated brand identity. Prototype 10.0 reduces a property’s footprint from 2.49 acres to 2.36 acres and the building area by more than 3,350 square feet, increases the number of rooms from 121 suites to 131 and upgrades food-and-beverage options to generate additional revenue.
Prototype 10.0 is the brand’s first new model to debut since 2014, and the first real overhaul since the 9.0 launch in 2010. The project began in 2018 when Rick Colling, who had just come onboard as the brand’s global head, decided that the then-30-year-old brand needed an update. He reached out to 17 owners who had worked with the brand as well as its competitive set. “And I literally went out and sat at their desks and said, ‘Hey, if all flags were available in the extended-stay upscale segment, which ones would you develop and why?’” he recalled. “So for the first six months I did nothing but listen.” As such, he said, the owners were “very instrumental” in developing the new prototype.
“Homewood Suites came to this new prototype design from a position of strength—the brand is performing very well,” said Nelson Knight, president, real estate and investments at Apple Hospitality REIT, one of the owners who collaborated on the project. “We weren’t trying to make massive corrections with the new prototype, rather we were focused on how we could enhance the guest experience ... while delivering a product that is more attractive to developers to build.”
The new model is deliberately flexible, Colling said, calling it a “kit of parts.” Owners can customize the spaces based on what is most appropriate to their specific demographic.
New Public Spaces
The new prototype upgrades both the exterior and interior of the hotel. Large windows maximize natural light and help create an “airy” environment indoors. The lobby has cafe-style seating that will be open all day (as opposed to only breakfast and happy hour) for guests to socialize. “We expect this space to be tremendously engaging over the course of the day, drawing our consumers and our guests out of their suites and into this public space so that they can work or enjoy [time with] family or play games,” Colling said. A tap wall in the dining area lets guests purchase wines and beers by the glass on demand.
The front desk now also functions as both the check-out area for the hotel’s retail space (serving full meals that can be prepared in the suites) and as a coffee station. Colling wants the arrival experience to be like visiting a friend at home and being offered a cup of coffee by the host.
These new retail-driven spaces are meant to improve the customer experience with more products available for purchase—and accentuate the hotel's revenue stream at the same time, Colling said.
The hotels will also get a dedicated storage area where guests can leave oversized items like bicycles, golf clubs, skis, strollers and large suitcases. The equipment is stored in a locker that can only be opened by the guestroom key to keep everything secure. The fitness center has also been upgraded and the guest laundry area is nearly twice as large as the previous model.
Outside, the backyard has fire pits, outdoor kitchen areas, picnic tables and a recreational area with games. Where possible, the area can also include a pool.
Brand devotees may notice that Lewis the Duck, the Homewood Suites mascot, is not displayed in the lobby, although the fowl could still maintain a connection in other ways, depending on owner feedback. “We are doing a tremendous amount of work right now to redefine what that looks like as the brand moves forward,” Colling said. Lewis has also been removed from the brand's new logo in favor of a sleeker aesthetic with accentuated Os, which Colling said reflects the rising and setting of the sun.
New Suites
One of the biggest components of the new prototype is the new king efficiency suite, which is smaller than a traditional Homewood studio room at 358 square feet, but still has a full kitchen and a dedicated work space. The rooms can be booked independently or as a connecting room to a larger studio or one-bedroom suite, and are targeted at transient guests rather than longer stays.
This third room type was a key part in reducing the overall footprint of the hotel while increasing the number of rooms available, Colling said. Competing brands, he added, might have 128 suites in a larger or smaller footprint, making them more appealing to owners in different markets. “We have to level the playing field,” he said.
“The king efficiency suite is unique to the Prototype 10.0 design and will be a game changer in the upscale extended-stay space as it provides developers and operators flexibility in markets with higher demand,” said Chet Patel, SVP of Baywood Hotels, who worked on the prototype with the Homewood team, adding that the reduction in overall square footage of the building and footprint will help when considering tighter development sites.
The one-bedroom suite, meanwhile, got additional amenities like in-room washers and dryers for longer-stay guests.
The rooms are available in two color schemes—daybreak and dusk, with lighter or darker tones, respectively. “An owner can pick whichever color scheme resonates with that specific area,” Colling said.
The room mix for the prototype will likely be 30 percent king efficiency, 65 percent studio and 5 percent one-bedroom.”However, those are guardrails,” Colling added. “If, in a market, you need queen-queen studio suites, we will afford the opportunity to do those and we'll work with owners.”
Looking Ahead
The first Prototype 10.0 is expected to open in 2023. The prototype will be available for both new-builds and conversions from other extended-stay brands. Of the 106 Homewoods already in the pipeline, about 34 will begin incorporating 10.0 elements into a traditional 9.2 model for a hybrid look. “We'll catch the rest of them to get just about as close to 10.0 as possible,” he said.
The 511 Homewoods currently open will eventually have to upgrade, Colling added, but the company will help owners make the adjustment. “Two months from now, we will release a renovation guide that will have all the attributes of the new 10.0 and how we would push those into the mature assets that we've now got,” he said. Still, he said, “I would imagine the runway will be fairly long on those that choose not to [upgrade immediately].”
Photo credits: Homewood Suites by Hilton