Hotel & Motel Management - November 5, 2007 - (Page 80)

80 News H&MM November 5, 2007 | HotelMotel.com Best Western aims high with Atria Leaders say the brand’s new prototype will target upper end of midscale segment velopment. The ﬁrst Atria properties are expected to open in mid- to late-2008. Construction costs are $85,000 tured surfaces, Kong said. The signature to $90,000 per key, excluding land, he item will be a frosted-glass, Japanese shojisaid. style door to separate the living room and Kong said the properties could demand sleeping room, and there is curved furnia $20 to $50 average-daily-rate premium ture in the bathroom. over what a typical Best Western garners. The lobby will be a focal point that inIt took about a year to develop the pro- vites guests to gather in an atmosphere of totype in-house, Kong said. It is dethe hotel owner’s choosing, Kong signed to have 100 guestrooms, but said. It will act as a multi-funcit is scalable to be larger. The prototional social space that can be type is ﬁve stories and ﬁts on a twoadapted for the time of day it is acre site. being used. “We wanted it to be very mod“We listened to our customular and ﬂexible,” Kong said. “The ers, what they said they want in size of the lot doesn’t matter. What hotel design,” Kong said. “Look we’re after is a wide variety of opwhat’s going on around us. DeWilliams tions. We wanted design elements BEST WESTERN sign is more important than to give people design and charever.” acter, but we didn’t want to go BWI worked with Color Manoverboard.” agement Group for the color schemes. A few select conversions will be permit“It’s got shelf life,” Kong said. “We ted as long as they capture the look and feel wanted the basics put in place and then of the prototype, according to Williams. we’ll continually improve on this product. However, he stressed that the new proto- This is one reason why this is not a subsegtype primarily is to attract developers who ment but a prototype. It only involves dewant to build hotels. velopers and owners who create new propNatural color tones will dominate erties, not current properties.” guestroom design, and there will be texjhigley@questex.com BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL The prototype for Atria is geared toward North American developers and could demand a $20 to $50 average-daily-rate premium over what a typical Best Western garners. By Jeff Higley The lobby of Atria will be a focal point in that it will invite guests to gather in an atmosphere of the hotel owner’s choosing. Vantage makes global plans By Jeff Higley EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Phoenix–Vantage Hospitality is stepping up its international plans with a new executive to lead the charge and possibly a new name to brand its global entities. During the Lodging Conference in late September, company executives said they are ready for growth, as they celebrated the ﬁrst anniversary of the launch of their Lexington brand. “Our growth has been tremendous every year,” president and c.e.o. Roger Bloss said. “We have interest in both of our brands here and internationally, and we need to address that.” Vantage’s Americas Best Value Inn brand is closing in on having 800 properties in its system, while Lexington collected 19 properties in its ﬁrst year of existence. To grow the brands internationally, the company in September named Bill Hanley as a partner and director of international development. Vantage already has Canadas Best Value Inn and Chinas Best Value Inn in the fold, and it is looking for other countries in which to expand. To do so, it most likely will change the name of its Americas Best Value Inn brand in Bloss VANTAGE HOSPITALITY Hanley VANTAGE HOSPITALITY areas outside of the United States. Bernie Moyle, Vantage’s c.o.o. and c.f.o., said that when the company went through a lawsuit with Best Western International over Best Value Inns’ name and colors, the name Value Inn Worldwide ﬁnished second to Americas Best Value Inn in membership voting. “We’re looking at using that,” Moyle said. “It’s generic enough that it gets us away from using the country name. It also gets us away from having to have individual brand codes for each country (on the global distribution system networks).” That would clear the way for Continued on page 81 BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL said the only subsegment the Best Western brand has is the Premier Phoenix–Don’t call it a subsegdesignation in Europe and Asia, ment, a brand extension or a new which identiﬁes a select group of brand. David Kong, Best Westproperties that offer a higher level ern International’s president and of amenities, services and unique c.e.o., said during the Lodging features. Conference in late September that The Atria prototype is the Phoenix-based membership Kong geared toward North American organization simply is targeting BEST WESTERN developers. aggressive developers by launch“We’ve received a lot of inquiing its Atria prototype. ries about high end,” Kong said. “We needThe prototype is one of four offered by ed a product to leverage our reservation and Best Western, but its Best Western’s ﬁrst operational efﬁciencies.” aimed at the upper midscale segment. He The company’s three other prototypes—Stoneridge, Heritage and Montecito—are designed to ﬁt into Best WestBest Western at a glance ern’s midscale niche. Best Western’s goal Best Western International for Atria is to compete with new brands Headquarters: Phoenix such as aloft, Cambria Suites, Hyatt Place Structure: Membership organization and Nylo for developers hungry to add hoHistory: Founded in 1946 by M.K. tels to their portfolios. Guerten “It’s very much to meet the demand,” Portfolio: 4,096 properties Kong said. comprising 313,139 guestrooms The company has signed seven deals, worldwide* two of which have broken ground. Of the *According to H&MM’s Top Hotel Companies listing, seven properties signed, ﬁve are being built Sept. 18, 2007 by current members, said Mark Williams, BWI’s director of North American deEDITORIAL DIRECTOR http://HotelMotel.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - November 5, 2007

Hotel & Motel Management - November 5, 2007 Contents M&A Pace Slowing After Early Boom LodgeWorks Jumps Into Upscale Game Accor Reorganizes Leadership, Structure Perspective At Your Risk Travel Trends Sales Clinic On Finance Family Business Matters Cornell Insights Franchise Law Training Trends Satisfaction Trends Management Trends Events Guest Column Trends & Stats GM Survey Historic Property Conversions Offer Appeal for All Extended-Stay Brands Survey Green is the Word at IH/M&R Show Transactions Restaurant POS Handhelds Keep Managers Alerted Rising Costs Confront Midwest Builders Business Travelers: Breakfast Still an Important Perk IH/M&RS Product Preview Vacation Ownership Projects to Grow in U.S., Abroad Awards Training Programs Jump to Front Lines Refrigeration: Before You Break It, Fix It Lighting Enhances Property People Supplier News Best Western Aims High with Atria Vantage Makes Global Plans Sierra Moves Forward with New Name, High Expectations Maintenance Doctor Social Marketing Makes Way into Hotel Industry People Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - November 5, 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.