Openings in Alabama and Kansas Help the Candlewood Suites® Brand Surpass 300th Hotel Milestone
Extended stay brand comes full circle with new hotel in the same state where brand launched in 1996
ATLANTA – March 12, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], one of the world’s leading global hotel companies, announces a major milestone for Candlewood Suites® hotels as the brand celebrates the opening of two new properties – Candlewood Suites Birmingham/Homewood (Alabama) and Candlewood Suites Manhattan (Kansas) – and a portfolio now exceeding 300 hotels. The brand was purchased by IHG in 2003 and has since grown rapidly, nearly tripling in size. The brand is poised to continue its rapid growth, with more than 75 hotels currently in the pipeline.
“We are excited to reach this major milestone,” said Robert Radomski, vice president Brand Leadership, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites. “The Candlewood Suites brand has grown by 100 hotels over the past few years, and our most recent opening in Manhattan, Kan., is just a short drive from Wichita, Kansas where the brand originated in 1996.”
The new Candlewood Suites Manhattan, Kan., hotel has 84 suites and is located at 210 Blue Earth Place in the newly developed downtown area. The hotel is directly across the street from the Flint Hills Discovery Center and provides convenient access to Kansas State University; the U.S. Army’s 100,000-acre Fort Riley, home of the 1st Infantry Division; and the Manhattan Town Center mall.
“We’re pleased to bring the first extended stay property to Manhattan and honored to play a role in growing the Candlewood Suites brand in Kansas. It is thrilling to return to the birthplace of the brand as we hit this important milestone,” said Beth Lohman, general manager, Candlewood Suites Manhattan. “This opening is also exciting for us because this development is an integral part of Manhattan’s revitalized downtown.”
The new Candlewood Suites – Birmingham/Homewood hotel has 81 suites and is located at 400 Commons Drive in Homewood, Ala., approximately eight miles from downtown Birmingham. The hotel offers easy access to Interstate 65 and the Birmingham School of Medicine and Medical Center. Birmingham, Alabama’s largest city, also offers many nearby attractions including the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to the vibrant ‘Magic City’ of Birmingham and to all that Candlewood Suites hotels have to offer,” said Kathryn Lomasney, general manager, Candlewood Suites Birmingham/Homewood. “Our guests will love the design of our spacious suites, and the hotel’s amenities will allow them to live comfortably and keep a daily routine similar to that of home.”
Candlewood Suites hotels are focused on comfort, space and value, and all feature a combination of studio and one-bedroom suite floor plans with a fully equipped kitchen, executive desk, DVD player, recliner and telephone with voice mail, plus free local calls along with a variety of home-like amenities, including free wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, free on-site Guest Laundry facilities and the 24-hour Candlewood Gym. Unique to Candlewood Suites hotels, guests can also enjoy the convenience of the Candlewood Cupboard®, where a variety of beverages, breakfast items, snacks, frozen entrées and sundries can be purchased on the honor system at any time and where guests can enjoy complimentary, freshly brewed Maxwell House coffee.
Also operating on the honor system is the Candlewood Suites brand’s newest addition, the Lending Locker, featured at both of the new properties. The Lending Locker allows guests to borrow common household items to enhance their extended visit, including desk fans, blenders, board games and more. Additionally, guests can visit the free Lending Library, where movies and music are available for use in the guest suites, as well as enjoy the Gazebo Grill, with gas grill and outdoor dining area for guest use.
The Candlewood Suites Manhattan, owned by Flinthills Hospitality and managed by Noble Hospitality, and the Candlewood Suites Birmingham/Homewood, owned by Lakeshore Holdings, LLC, and managed by N8, LLC, are both franchised by affiliates of IHG.
All Candlewood Suites hotels participate in IHG’s guest loyalty program,
priority Club® Rewards, the industry’s first, largest and fastest-growing guest loyalty program with 71 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,600 hotels worldwide. For more information or to book a reservation at any Candlewood Suites hotel across the U.S. or Canada, go to IHG.com/CandlewoodSuites or call 1-888-CANDLEWOOD.
About Candlewood Suites Hotels
Candlewood Suites hotels are focused on comfort, space and value. At more than 299 properties located throughout North America, guests find spacious studio and one-bedroom suites each with its own fully equipped kitchen, executive desk, DVD player, recliner and telephone with voice mail plus free local calls. The Candlewood Gym and free Guest Laundry facilities are open around the clock, and guests can take advantage of the 24-hour Candlewood Cupboard®, where they will find breakfast items, snacks, refreshments, easy to prepare meals and necessities available on the honor system. Guests can borrow common household items to enhance their extended visit, including a desk fan, blenders, board games and more, from the new Lending Locker. Candlewood Suites hotels offer guests all of this at a very comfortable price.
For more information or to book a reservation, visit IHG.com/CandlewoodSuites or call 1-888-CANDLEWOOD. Find Candlewood Suites hotels on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Candlewood or Facebook www.Facebook.com/CandlewoodSuites.
Media Contacts:
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Notes to Editors:
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organization with nine hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty program with over 71 million members worldwide.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,600 hotels and more than 675,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate over the next few years.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.priorityclub.com for more on Priority Club Rewards. For our latest news, visit www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.
