Homewood Experiences Banner Year
Brand Earned Top Industry Accolades and Opened 40 New Hotels in 2008
Homewood Suites by Hilton, the international brand of all-suite, residential-style hotels celebrated 2008 as one of its best years since the brand was launch in 1989, despite the recent industry slowdown. Last year, Homewood Suites opened its 250th property, finishing the year with a footprint of 258 hotels -- 28,492 upscale suites -- throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico and a development pipeline of more than 130 planned properties.
"While 2008 was a tough year for the hotel business, the demand for extended-stay products increased," said Bill Duncan, Global Head, Brand Management, Homewood Suites by Hilton. "For Homewood Suites, the state of the economy created the perfect storm for new travelers to discover the unique value of Homewood's upscale extended-stay offerings and helped strengthen our relationship with existing customers and development partners,"
Complementing the brand's impressive growth in 2008, Homewood Suites was honored with several consumer awards and garnered top industry recognition for its commitment to customer satisfaction and innovative approaches to enhancing the overall hotel stay experience. Major awards included:
- A "Best Value Chain" ranking in Zagat's 2009 U.S. Hotels, Resorts, & Spas Survey
- Ranked number one in guest satisfaction among extended-stay hotel chains in J.D. Power and Associates' North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM for sixth time*
- Named "Top Upscale Extended Stay Hotel" by Business Travel News
- Homewood Suites By Hilton's Suite Selection, the industry's first interactive room selection tool, named #2 innovation in 2008 by InformationWeek at annual InformationWeek 500 Awards
The brand plans on adding approximately 30 to 40 more properties in 2009, bringing the portfolio count to 300 by early 2010.
Key Homewood Suites initiatives include:
- Opening the first Homewood Suites/Hampton Inn joint build in Silver Spring, MD. (January 9, 2009)
- Publishing "Lewis the Duck goes to Canada," the brand's second in a series of children's books written to help business travelers' with young families explain extended-stay travel.
- Opening of Homewood Suites 300th property (expected in Q1 2010)
- Opening of Homewood Suites/Hilton Garden Inn joint build Brooklyn high-rise property
- Continued foray into international markets such as Canada and Mexico
The innovative brand is a guest favorite among both business and leisure travelers, consistently taking the top spot on key satisfaction studies. Homewood Suites by Hilton has been named "Best Value Hotel Chain" by Zagat Survey for three consecutive years (2007-2009); was awarded Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Extended-Stay Hotel Chains in J.D. Power & Associates 2008 North American Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM**; and placed number one in the Upscale Extended Stay Hotel category in Business Travel News 2008 hotels rankings by corporate traveler buyers.
**Homewood Suites by Hilton received the highest numerical score among extended stay hotel chains in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2007-2008 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. 2008 study based responses from 53,453 guests measuring 11 extended stay hotels and measures opinions of guests who stayed in a hotel May 2007-June 2008. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed June 2007-June 2008. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.
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ORGANIZATION
Olson Communications, Inc.
www.olsoncomm.com
Phone: 480-368-7999
Email: kari@olsoncomm.com
Brad Carmony
Director, Public Relations
Phone: 901-374-6518
Mobile: 901-626-3220
Email: brad.carmony@hilton.com