The very first Staybridge Suites opened its doors on Dec. 6, 1998, in Alpharetta, Ga., a growing business and residential suburb north of Atlanta.  Owned and managed by Bass Hotels & Resorts, the 118-suite property features a classic, residential appeal inside and out.  An automated kiosk named Bridgette speaks three languages and can check guests in and out at any time, as well as give directions and information about area restaurants, shopping and attractions.  For guests who prefer a more personal experience, the property also has staff available 24 hours.

Aimed primarily at business travelers, the hotel offers many in-room and common area amenities that allow guests to truly live the brand�s slogan, �Make It Your Place,� during their stay.  An on-site 24-hour business center and 24-hour convenience store are just two of the amenities that will demonstrate Staybridge Suites� flexibility.

Additionally, each suite offers a two-line speaker phone with direct dial access, voice mail, full kitchen, sleeper sofa and ergonomic seating in a large and well-lit working space.  Guests will enjoy daily complimentary breakfast buffets and evening socials in the main �great room� area, exercise facilities and an outdoor courtyard with swimming pool and recreation court.  The property also offers complimentary guest laundry, secure storage rooms and an Internet entertainment center offering high-speed Internet access and specialty games.

The next Staybridge Suites is scheduled to open in San Antonio, Texas, in July 1999.  The 117-suite property will be one of four Staybridge properties under construction in Texas at the same time, with the groundbreaking in early January of hotels in Houston-Galleria and Dallas-Las Colinas.  The Houston-Galleria property will have 93 suites, and the Dallas-Las Colinas location will have 119 suites.  A fourth property offering 122 suites in Austin should break ground in May and open in October.  Additionally, construction of the 116-suite Staybridge Suites in the Lone Tree suburb of Denver, Colo., is scheduled to begin in April.
1998 culminated in a flurry of building activity for several additional company-owned Staybridge Suites projects, including the 148-suite Staybridge Suites Atlanta-Perimeter, a 121-suite property in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and the 118-suite Staybridge Suites in Charlotte, N.C.  In addition, construction should begin later this month on the Staybridge Suites in Columbia-Baltimore, Md., a 119-suite property.

Three franchised properties also are under construction, with eight due to begin building soon.  A 107-suite project in Lincoln, Neb., got under way in November, and is scheduled to open in July.  In mid-December, ground was broken on a 96-suite Staybridge Suites property in Miami, with a projected opening date of September 1999.  A third project in Naples, Fla., will break ground shortly, with plans for 120 suites and an anticipated opening date of September 1999.

Staybridge Suites will make its international debut in Canada in Markham, Ontario � just north of Toronto.  An April groundbreaking is scheduled, with an anticipated opening in January 2000 for the 124-suite hotel.

Bass Hotels & ResortsSM,  the hotel business of Bass PLC of the United Kingdom, operates or franchises more than 2,700 hotels and 450,000 guest rooms in more than 90 countries and territories.