In September, when Hyatt Hotels Corporation introduced Hyatt House, the rebranding of 38 Hyatt Summerfield Suites and 16 Hotel Sierra properties it acquired from LodgeWorks, it promised something different for the extended-stay market. Designing that fresh look fell to architecture and interior design firm Stonehill & Taylor, and the firm delivered with a contemporary concept.
“We were looking to create a sort of contemporary vacation house,” says Mike Suomi, principal and vice president of design and development at the firm.
The centerpiece of the design is a large lounge, which offers a place to do everything from eating breakfast, to socializing, to watching TV. The purpose of creating a different type of space for the extended-stay brand is two-fold, according to Suomi. “One is create brand differentiation. The other is to meet the needs of guests today, because they’ve changed in the extended-stay space from what existed pre-recession.”
The lounge also includes an innovative “H Bar,” which is an island bar wrapped around a large section sofa.
“Our goal was to simply create a different kind of product,” Suomi says.