VAUGHAN, CANADA-McLean, VA-based Hilton Worldwide has opened its 10th Homewood Suites in Canada, with a 140-suite hotel here. Bill Duncan, head of the Homewood brand, tells GlobeSt.com that it has 80 properties in the pipeline in North America, and has started to focus on international markets.

The seven-story hotel here is owned by Applewood II Hotels Inc. and managed by Easton’s Group of Hotels Inc. These long-term business hotels include kitchens, separate living and sleeping areas, free breakfast in a hospitality center and other away-from-home amenities sucha s a pool, fitness center, business center and grilling areas.

The balance of the company’s Canada properties are in the province of Ontario, and is planning four more hotels, including sites in Alberta and Nova Scotia. “Canada is a very ripe market for both Homewood Suites by Hilton and our newly launched Home2 Suites brand because of both a rising demand for extended-stay product and an overall increase in business travel throughout the country,” Duncan says.

He says the focus for Homewood Suites continues to be on North America, including expansion in Canada and more of the secondary and tertiary markets in the continental US, but that there are plans to branch outside the continent. “We feel there is still a great deal of opportunity here.  However, as a growing brand with more than 300 hotels and approximately 80 in the development pipeline, throughout the next several years we’ll begin to place more focus on international markets,” Duncan says.