DALLAS—Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital opened its newest hotel, Home2 Suites by Hilton, on the campus of Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, part of Baylor Scott & White Health. This hotel has 132 suites located at 3301 Gaston Ave., directly across from the flagship hospital.

“This property fills a need for the hospital and local community, and will be the gold standard for other hospital campuses across the country,” said Marty Collins, CEO of Gatehouse Capital. “This hotel is an all-suite, extended-stay product. The staff at this property is trained to handle the special circumstances of guests who may be dealing with a family health crisis.”

Developed and owned by Gatehouse Capital and managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, the $21 million Home2 Suites by Hilton sits at the corner of Gaston Avenue and Hall Street, and solidifies the redevelopment of the area. The land is owned by Baylor Health Care System and has been leased to Gatehouse Capital.

The hotel's all-suite accommodations feature fully equipped kitchens and modular furniture. Amenities include a 24-hour business center with free WiFi and printing, a combined laundry and fitness area, a mini-market for grab-and-go items, and complimentary breakfast.

A “Dallas Green” eco-sustainable property, Home2 Suites offers 5,000 square feet of meeting and event space accommodating up to 350 guests. The outdoor saline pool overlooks the skyline and is a pet-friendly facility.

Adrian Kurre, global head of Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton and Alan Roberts, global head of Embassy Suites by Hilton, recently discussed hospitality trends and the Hilton brand in this exclusive.

GlobeSt.com: What are a few hospitality hot markets?

Kurre: Urban and surban areas continue to be popular for hotel development. The all-suites brands by Hilton have significantly increased their footprints in these markets thanks to new prototypes that make it easier than ever before to build an Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites in high-barrier-to-entry locations.

Traditionally thought of as a hotel product for suburban markets, we've worked hard to infuse flexibility into every part of our all-suites brands' design. For example, Homewood Suites owners now have the ability to have up to 85% studio suites, an option that wasn't previously available, but increasingly important in competitive urban markets.

This year alone, we've opened more than 10 new properties in downtown and surrounding areas including New Orleans, Los Angeles and Charlotte. We will also expand our all-suites footprint in New York City and nearby urban markets with the upcoming opening of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Midtown Manhattan in November 2017.

GlobeSt.com: What are some new programs and services for franchisees to maximize ROI?

Roberts: At Hilton, we are always looking for ways to innovate our offerings and deliver more value to owners and guests. This was what drove us to create the first-of-its-kind all-suites category in 2015, which combines the knowledge and success of Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites into a one-stop shop to maximize owners' investments in the fast-growing all-suites lodging sector.

We also continue to enhance the individual brands within the all-suites category to deliver owners a strong return on investment. One example is Embassy Suites' E'terie concept, which originally launched in 2013, and was updated and relaunched in 2017. We wanted to add a localized fast-casual concept to inspire guests to stay in the atrium area at our hotels well past the complimentary evening reception hours. This approach creates more revenue-generating opportunities on-site for owners.

The atrium refresh program and the design option III prototype are a continuation of our efforts to make Embassy Suites' signature atrium area a more intimate and inviting space. Complementing these design concepts with a top-notch food and beverage concept will not only make guests want to stay on-property more, but also attract new customers to the brand and generate more profits for our franchisees and owners.

GlobeSt.com: What are some examples of key hotel sectors?

Kurre: With more travelers seeking hotels that offer spacious and comfortable accommodations, as well as value-added amenities all at a cost-conscious price point, the all-suites sector continues to gain popularity. This segment has proven to be resistant to the cyclical nature of the hotel industry, and recent reports from both the Highland Group and Smith Travel Research point to increases in both demand and revenue for all-suites hotels.

This has prompted more developers than ever to consider owning or expanding their portfolios of all-suites hotels. We are seeing this reflected among our own all-suites brands at Hilton, which are averaging a new hotel opening every four days. The all-suites brands represent a significant and growing percentage of the Hilton portfolio, comprising 16% of Hilton's supply of open hotels and 25% of the Hilton pipeline of pending properties. Earlier this year, the all-suites brands opened its 800th hotel and are on pace to reach the 1,000th property by 2019.

GlobeSt.com: Can you expand on the brands and upcoming projects?

Kurre: Home2 Suites continues to be one of the fastest growing brands in the Hilton portfolio. Guests love it because of the all-suite accommodations with fully equipped kitchens and modular furniture providing guests the flexibility to customize suites to their styles and preferences. Owners also appreciate the flexible prototype that allows for a streamlined construction model and fast ramp-up. The brand is on track to open its 200th property by early next year, potentially sooner. The updated count tally can be followed or on social media with #RoadtoHome200.

Homewood Suites is also getting ready to hit a development milestone, as it gears up for its 450th property opening later this year. There are a couple of factors that we see are behind this growth. First, the flexibility of our current prototype has allowed us to expand out of the suburban markets that extended stay hotels have traditionally called home─no pun intended─and gain new ground in urban and surban locales.

Second, using innovative building models, such as multi-branded hotels, is also helping the brand grow. This building model helps owners maximize limited available land and save on construction, zoning and operational costs, while appealing to a wider variety of travelers. Our most recent multi-branded project opens this quarter near Los Angeles International Airport, and will be the first to feature a Homewood Suites and Curio by Hilton.

Roberts: Embassy Suites has a robust pipeline of hotels in development and we are looking forward to our 250th opening in 2018. In addition to growing in urban markets, thanks to the ingenuity and flexibility of our design option III prototype, we've been able to answer the demand for our unique full-service, all-suites' offering with several new developments in resort destinations.

GlobeSt.com: What are a few hospitality hot markets?

GlobeSt.com: What are some new programs and services for franchisees to maximize ROI?

GlobeSt.com: What are some examples of key hotel sectors?

GlobeSt.com: Can you expand on the brands and upcoming projects?

Instant Insights /

All-Suite and Multi-Branded Hotels Grow Brands

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