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 The Embassy Suites Hotels Space Survey Defines 
Needs of Introverted vs Extroverted Guests

Frequent Travelers Venture Upstairs and Downstairs in Search of Space
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 1, 2000 - Room service, Pay-Per-View movies and private sitting areas or hotel restaurant dining, drinks at the hotel bar and sight-seeing between meetings.  Men and women today have different needs and desires when it comes to personal space while traveling, according to Embassy Suites Hotels.  The brand recently commissioned a proprietary survey of more than 300 frequent travelers.

The Embassy Suites Hotels Space Survey (©2000, Hilton Hospitality, Inc.) found there are two distinct personality types in travelers: �Upstairs� and �Downstairs� guests.  Upstairs personalities are defined by actions and characteristics of more introverted people who spend less time in public areas and prefer private spaces such as bedrooms over more social spaces such as lobbies and lounges.  While the findings indicate that nearly two out of three female respondents generally classify themselves as extroverts, more than half of these same women travelers changed attitudes when traveling for business, describing their behavior as more �Upstairs� and introverted on a business trip.  For example, female business travelers might opt for room service, in-suite wet-bar, and the spaciousness of a two-room suite that allows a separation of work and sleep areas.

Unlike their female counterparts, men overwhelming maintained the same �downstairs personality� when traveling for business or pleasure.  Travelers with downstairs personalities are considered to be more extroverted and tend to use concierge services more often, dine out of their rooms and prefer social spaces to private areas. 

Downstairs hotel (or travel) personalities might enjoy a nightly manager�s reception, dining in the on-site restaurant and relaxing in open lobby areas.

�Both the �upstairs� and �downstairs� personality types interviewed through our research describe very different reasons for choosing our hotels,� said Mark Snyder, senior vice president of brand management, Embassy Suites Hotels.  �Depending on their personality, travelers seek specific comfort zones which we aim to provide.�

While the survey found many differences and preferences depending on gender or personality type, all travelers surveyed stated that meeting other people was the best thing about traveling overall.  �This is one reason our manager�s reception in our atrium continues to be one of the highest ranked amenities.  If people want to get out of their rooms and meet other people, we provide a comfortable, casual atmosphere for that,� said Snyder.  �Men and women have different travel needs and our goal is to appeal in a significant way to both, whether they are on vacation or business and feel like being introverted or extroverted.�

The survey also found that while �upstairs� personalities enjoy �staying upstairs,� �downstairs� personalities also appreciate a spacious hotel room like a two-room suite.  In fact, 75 percent of male respondents in the survey reported increased productivity while working in large spaces compared to smaller work areas.  Additionally, more than half of the travelers surveyed made negative allusions to the proverbial �shoe box� room as being the standard hotel fare.  Whether introverted or extroverted, male or female, respondents shared another common sentiment�they all expressed an intensified need for personal space to feel more comfortable when traveling.

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The Brand Continues Growth of Mixed-Use and Downtown Development

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 5, 2000 - Embassy Suites Hotels®, the nation�s leading all-suite hotel brand, has announced an aggressive franchise development program to increase its number of hotels to approximately 200 by 2003, with a significant development effort in larger urban markets and the western United States. The brand currently operates more than 150 hotels. 

Development of Embassy Suites Hotels in Urban Markets 

Embassy Suites Hotels is developing projects in large, urban markets this year, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston. The brand will celebrate the grand opening of its flagship property June 6, 2000: the 463-room Embassy Suites Hotel- New York City, in Manhattan�s financial district.

�Due to a general lack of the all-suite product within urban markets, downtown areas represent ideal locations for Embassy Suites developments,� Snyder continued. �Travelers visiting major cities value the added space afforded by the two-room design, as well as the complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast and evening manager�s reception - features that usually are not found in hotels located within major cities.� 

Embassy Suites Hotels developed for urban markets will be larger in size, ranging from 350-500 suites. 

Mixed-Use Developments 

In response to a growing interest by developers in building upscale hotels within mixed-use developments (MUDs), Embassy Suites also is targeting its development efforts within this area. Most MUDs are comprised of a single, urban structure with residential, retail, entertainment and office elements. �The Embassy Suites product represents an ideal fit for mixed-use developments because the hotels appeal to business travelers who are conducting business within local offices as well as leisure travelers who drawn to the convenience of retail-and entertainment-oriented features of mixed-use development,� said Snyder. 
Embassy Suites Hotels built as part of mixed-use developments will range in size from 350 to 500 suites. �The recently announced $1 billion Chicago River East project and the recently opened Dallas-Outdoor World and New York hotels are strong examples of how Embassy Suites Hotels will complement a mixed-use development, attracting both business and leisure travelers.� 

150- Room Prototype 

Penetrating into secondary and tertiary markets, the company recently introduced its 150-room prototype, six of which are open and more than half a dozen of which are under development or construction. 

�While the 150-room design features a smaller atrium and fewer guest suites, the suites maintain the same square footage comprising the separate living room and bedroom areas as are offered in the larger Embassy Suites Hotels," said Snyder. 

This prototype also includes meeting rooms, room-service, cooked-to-order breakfast and evening manager�s reception, which are standard features within all Embassy Suites Hotels. 

The 150-room prototype is a lower cost-per-key to build than the traditional Embassy Suites Hotel property and is designed to provide owners with the option of building a smaller, upscale, all-suite product in a market that may not normally support a 300-plus room property. Embassy Suites Hotels representing the 150-room prototype are located in Austin, Dallas and Houston, in Texas; Dulles Airport-Fairfax, Va.; Orlando Airport, Fla.; and Newark, Del. Properties are currently under construction in Destin, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; and Alpharetta, Ga. 

West Coast Development

With the backing of the Hilton Hotels Corporation Embassy Suites Hotels is now positioned to increase its development efforts into other parts of the country. �The Hilton name and expertise will help us penetrate new markets, such as cities in the Western United States, which were already on our radar screen,� said Snyder.  �We currently have six new hotels in design and three under construction in the West.� 

Upcoming openings are targeted for Scottsdale, Ariz.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Anaheim/Garden Grove, Calif.; and groundbreaking projects are scheduled for Sacramento, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Phoenix, Ariz.; and San Francisco. Sales, Marketing and Reservations Support 

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Embassy Suites Hotels was the first all-suite upscale hotel brand to enter the industry in 1983 and today has more than 150 hotels. 
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Contact:
Hilton Brand Communications
Kendra Walker
310-205-4545
[email protected]
http://www.embassysuites.com 

Also See Windsor Capital Group and United Properties, Inc. Open the $40-million 270-suite Embassy Suites-Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Arizona / March 2000 
Buccini/Pollin Group Open the 150th Embassy Suite in Delaware / Nov 1999 


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