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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