MCLEAN, Va. - Home2 Suites by Hilton, part of Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) innovative All Suites category and one of the fastest growing brands in the portfolio, reached its 200th property milestone with the opening of Home2 Suites by Hilton Miramar Ft. Lauderdale. This opening brings the ‘Road to Home200' Challenge to a close. The five veteran journalists participating made their predictions on which property would be the 200th based on a wealth of industry knowledge. However, within the brand's pipeline of 385 pending hotels, there were more than 60 properties that had the possibility of being the 200th due to the rapid pace of openings, and with that many to choose from, it's no wonder everyone was really stumped!
"We'd like to thank the valued journalists who participated in the ‘Road to Home200' Challenge, as well as the media outlets they represent for following Home2's growth since the brand's inception. The size of the pipeline list we provided our media partners was long, and we enjoyed the thoughtful reasoning behind each journalist's choice," says Adrian Kurre, global head of Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton. "Although we weren't able to name a challenge champion, the support from the media along with our industry partners, owners, team members and loyal guests, makes us all winners, and we're grateful to all involved."
The ‘Road to Home200' participating journalists included Glenn Haussman, No Vacancy; Kerry Medina, Hotel Interactive; Kate Hughes, Lodging; David Eisen, Hotel Management; and long-time hotel industry writer and freelancer Bruce Serlen.
The 200th opened hotel represents the strategic vision behind growing the brand which includes a laser focus on ‘surban' locations, like Miramar Ft. Lauderdale, along with urban areas as well. These locations make up a significant part of the more than 385 properties in the pipeline.
That's because the innovative, flexible construction model which often goes from groundbreaking to opening within a year is allowing the brand to enter major urban centers, like Los Angeles and Downtown Columbus, Ohio, where real estate is at a premium. The brand is also capitalizing on the multi-brand building model to expand its urban footprint into high-barrier-to-entry markets, like Chicago and downtown Columbia, SC. These innovations along with the unique value proposition provided by the new All Suites category, which includes Embassy Suites by Hilton and Homewood Suites by Hilton, and maximizes natural synergies shared by all three brands, has made Home2 Suites by Hilton unstoppable.
"It's rewarding and humbling to watch Home2's incredible growth. While the destiny/future of this young brand is still very much being written, what is clear is that wherever the road to our goals leads us next, we'll likely get there fast," adds Kurre.
Read more about Home2 Suites by Hilton at www.home2suites.com and news.home2suites.com.
Read more about Home2 Suites by Hilton at www.home2suites.com and news.home2suites.com.
