WASHINGTON? SpringHill Suites, Marriott?s new all-suite lodging product, recently launched four properties. Positioned in the upper moderate tier, there is now a total of 31 SpringHill Suites following the conversion of many Fairfield Suites properties. The new brand is anticipated to grow to 150 properties by the end of 2003. The new properties are: the Prescott SpringHill Suites in Prescott, AZ; the Boca Raton SpringHill Suites in Florida; Savannah SpringHill Suites in Georgia; and the Waterford/ Mystic SpringHill Suites in Connecticut. The Prescott property has 85 suites and is owned and operated by Northern Arizona Hotel Group. B.F. Saul Co. is owner/operator of the 146-unit Florida property. The Georgia property has 79 suites and is owned and operated by Larry Blumberg & Associates. Waterford Hotel Group is the owner/operator of the 80-suite Waterford/ Mystic property. ?Fairfield Suites was doing so well and had financial returns that exceeded our expectations that we wanted to expand into the upper moderate version,? said Kathy Townshend, brand vp of SpringHill Suites. When Marriott decided to launch the new brand, it converted 15 Fairfield Suites to SpringHill Suites. By December 1998, it had 31 SpringHill Suites properties. The SpringHill Suites brand is targeted to both business and leisure travelers and ?works well in urban, suburban and destination markets,? said Townshend. ?Our ultimate goal is to reach 500-plus units across the United States and eventually move into Canada as well,? Townshend said. Townshend explained that the brand is currently concentrated in the Southeast but there are plans to move into the Northeast. Eventually, there will be a fairly proportionate distribution across the United States, she said. ?We have a healthy development pipeline with 31 properties open, 25 under construction and more than 50 approved deals. Our growth is on target to meet and possibly even exceed our goals,? she said. SpringHill Suites recently completed 3-, 4- and 6-story prototypes that differ from the Fairfield Suites brand in architectural design, interior design and a general upgrading. In addition, the SpringHill Suites brand began offering an upgraded complimentary continental breakfast in September. The upgrade provides guests with seasonal fruits and breads; hot oatmeal; flavored coffee; and yogurt parfait. ?It?s just a generally healthier menu with a wider range of options,? said Townshend.
