The Hampton Inn-Cedar City, Utah, is the national brand's first "small town" Hampton Inn. It is managed by California-based Marin Management and owned by The Church Family Trust in Utah.
 

George "Goober" Lindsey, of small town Mayberry in the Andy Griffith Show, takes his bags to Cedar City, Utah as an honorary guest of Hampton Inn's first "small town" hotel concept, which will begin opening across the U.S. this year filling demand for increased roadside travel. April 14, 2003.

Located in Cedar City, Utah, population: 20,527, this smaller scale Hampton Inn features only 58 rooms -- 30% less rooms than a typical Hampton Inn -- while providing the same services, look and "feel" of the traditional, larger Hampton Inn product. Historically, the minimum threshold for building a quality, branded hotel was 65 rooms. "The design is perfect for a town this size," said John Manderfeld with Marin Management, which manages the Hampton Inn-Cedar City. "We have already seen that the

Hampton Inn completely re-engineered the guest room layout to create the new uncustomary in-room design that provides a more open feel in a slightly smaller room footprint in its single rooms. With a decor of brighter colors and textures, the guest room contains a unique repositioning of furniture to allow for ample "walk around" space, a bed that is raised higher and positioned against the inside room wall, a television armoire, and an open work desk area with ample lighting and dataport connection for Internet access. Most rooms also contain a walk-in shower and separate vanity area - a popular feature among travelers that Hampton Inn discovered while testing the design of the new prototype.

The new Hampton Inn prototype varies in size from 52 to 64 rooms and is typically no more than three stories tall. Each property will offer a swimming pool (indoor or outdoor) and the option of specialty amenity packages, such as whirlpool spa suites. In addition, the design requires available meeting room space, and also includes an exercise facility to meet business and leisure travelers' needs.

The break-through "small town Hampton" design allows developers to build a quality small-scale, mid-priced hotel product at an affordable cost while at the same time providing small towns with a much-needed quality, branded hotel. According to Hampton research, as many as 200 small U.S. markets are ripe for building the new hotel product. The introduction of the new Hampton Inn also comes at an opportune time when more business and leisure travelers are traveling to their destinations by car.

The new 58-room Hampton Inn-Cedar City, located at 1145 Bentley Boulevard, features six large suites, 52 guest rooms, an indoor pool, exercise room, breakfast seating area with elevated ceilings, and a 1,000-square-foot meeting room area, a business center and coin-operated laundry. The hotel is strategically located next to one of the largest retail, dining, and entertainment centers in Southern Utah.

"The grand opening of this Hampton Inn marks the return of quality, major branded hotels to small-town America," said Phil Cordell, senior vice-president, brand management, Hampton. "For the past 10 to 20 years, it has not been economically viable to build a quality new hotel in small towns because the costs were too great to build and operate a mid-priced hotel under 65 rooms." Cordell added that as a result, travelers going to more remote locations have been faced with the option of non-branded hotels with less of today's amenities.

Hampton believes the cutting-edge design of the "small town" Hampton Inn will reverse this trend. Already, the brand has five additional "small town" Hampton Inn prototypes in the development pipeline in other small markets across the U.S. "By the end of 2003, we expect to have at least 15 of these projects either open or underway," said Cordell. "We have already opened two--our first being Cedar City and our second in Springfield, Tennessee, which just opened."

About the Owner/Operator

Church Family Trust is a family-owned and managed business led by Robert Church, an experienced developer who was formerly vice president of construction for the Koll Co., a major development company in Southern and Northern California. Church is currently developing a 250-acre planned community in Cedar City, Utah, with his son Barry Church. Church Family Trust, which owns the Hampton Inn Cedar City, was equally involved in the financing and construction of the project.

Founded in 1990 by John Manderfeld, Marin Management, Inc. provides management and support services for hotel owners. The company currently manages 20 hotel properties across the West Coast region in the states of Texas, Utah and California.

Hampton is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company.