Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Red Roof Inn
Lauderdale first S. Florida site of chain’s extended stay venture
The chain is expanding into the extended-stay market, and its first foray into South Florida will be in Fort Lauderdale.
A new 129-unit HomeTowne Studios is scheduled to open Tuesday at 3031 W. Commercial Blvd.
The nationally known Red Roof Inn is expanding into the extended-stay market with a new brand: the HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof.
And its first foray into South Florida will be in Fort Lauderdale.
A new, 129-unit HomeTowne Studios is scheduled to open Tuesday at 3031 W. Commercial Blvd., in a spot that was formerly a Crossland Fort Lauderdale, according to a Red Roof spokeswoman.
Marina MacDonald, Red Roof’s chief marketing officer, told the Sun Sentinel that creating the new chain was a “natural step,” citing research that extended-stay hotels make up about a quarter of new hotel construction. That growth is why Red Roof evolved to create the sub-brand, she added.
Red Roof currently has more than 550 properties in the United States and has expanded to Brazil and Japan. The Ohiobased chain is planning to open 30 HomeTowne Studios in 15 states, all converted from existing hotels, she said.
Another dozen extendedstays would open within a year after they have been renovated and “re-branded,” she said. “We have our eye on these 12 we’re looking to convert.”
The chain has spent more than $50 million in renovations for HomeTowne Studios nationwide.
HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof will provide free highspeed WiFi, flat-screen HD TVs featuring cable with HBO, onsite laundry and free U.S. phone service.
Local residents generally make up 60 percent of extended-stay occupancy, making it an alternative to the costs associated with rental units such as upfront security deposits and water, cable and electric bills. Extended-stays are also attractive to families with patients in nearby hospitals, and professionals who are in the process of relocating.
MacDonald said there is no maximum stay, but most don’t stay for more than a year. Daily rates are available, but she said most extended-stay customers pay by the month or the week.
Other amenities will include a kitchenette with a full-sized refrigerator, microwave, kitchen table and chairs. A “kitchen kit” — a dish and silverware set that guests can keep — will be available for a fee. Plus, one “wellbehaved pet is welcome per room,” at no additional cost.
MacDonald said the suites will be “clean and modern, with wood-like flooring [to create a] home-like experience.”