DevelopmentPipelineEmbassy Suites Announces Three-Year Expansion Plan

Embassy Suites Announces Three-Year Expansion Plan

MCLEAN, Va.—Embassy Suites Hotels’ new global head, John Rogers, announced the brand’s plans to grow the portfolio by 25 percent over the next three years to reach 300 properties in the Americas. Embassy Suites has honed in on a strategy that will drive the brand forward to aggressively increase market share, which focuses on leveraging the brand’s development flexibility to spur growth in urban markets while strengthening the core brand pillars and implementing smart, new innovations that meet the needs of both guests and developers.

While Embassy Suites will seek to deepen relationships with existing owners who want to build additional properties, the brand also sees an opportunity to grow its user base with owners who are new to the category, specifically focused service developers who want to move into the upper upscale segment.

“Embassy Suites Hotels fits a unique niche in the marketplace, as there are many cities where both business and leisure travelers are seeking an upscale, full-service, all suites hotel option that provides great value and excellent customer service,” said Rogers. “We’re confident that our growth strategy enables us to bring the brand’s value proposition into new markets and evolve our product offering to effectively respond to changes in guest preferences and developer needs.”

Development has been on the rise for the brand since introducing a new Design Option III prototype and flexible “kit of parts” approach to development in 2009. This prototype—the biggest change the brand has made in the past 25 years—has played an integral role in spurring growth in key urban markets like Houston, Denver, Miami and Seattle. The design decreases the amount of land needed and creates efficiencies for both construction and operational costs, enabling the brand to capitalize on a variety of new development opportunities, including conversions, adaptive reuse, and mixed use projects. Currently, nearly three-quarters of the properties in the pipeline feature Design Option III.

This year, the brand portfolio will include new and enhanced offerings such as:

Atrium: In both new and existing properties, the atrium area will be transformed into more of a social lobby space with multiple seating areas and configurations designed for gathering and lounging. The atrium decor will also incorporate landscaping and water features as well as elements that reflect the local region, such as sculptures from a local artist or artifacts from a local trade.

Cooked-To-Order Breakfast: The breakfast offering has been redesigned to feel more like an upscale, retail environment with updated signage, place settings, and displays. Improved flow and efficiency makes it easier for operators to serve guests, and for guests to enjoy whatever breakfast experience they want.

Brickstones Grill: This easy-to-operate turnkey dining concept helps developers maximize revenue by leveraging the cooked-to-order breakfast space for lunch and dinner to provide a convenient, self-serve food and beverage solution for guests. The eatery features a brick pizza oven, open pit grill, and rotisserie at a low labor cost for owners.

“We’re extremely optimistic about the future for Embassy Suites Hotels,” said Rogers. “We are confident that we have the right resources and offerings in place to give developers a unique and valuable hotel option that is a solid investment and will continue to deliver on the brand promise for which Embassy Suites is known.”

RELATED ARTICLES