HB ON THE SCENE: Homewood Suites By Hilton Opens First International Property

MONT-TREMBLANT, QUEBEC, CANADA— While the internationally renowned ski season here may be winding down for Mont-Tremblant Resort, international recognition for Hilton Hotels Corp.s Homewood Suites is just starting to catch fire with the official opening of the brands first extended-stay property outside the United States. The milestone 102-unit property also is the second condominium hotel project for the brand, which initiated the new conversion model less than six months ago in Florida. Part of a quaint pedestrian condominium village developed here by Intrawest a decade ago, the new four-story Homewood Suites faces Plaza St. Bernard, one of the villages gathering spots for outdoor entertainment, and is within minutes of the ski slopes. Jim Holthouser, svp-brand management for Homewood Suites by Hilton, told HOTEL BUSINESS® Canada was the logical choice in making the decision to go international. “I feel very comfortable being able to support a hotel there,” he said in a phone interview from Memphis. (Holthouser had been slated to attend the event here, but was called away on other business.) The property, which had a soft opening December 20, is held by the participating condominium owners via Urgo Hotels Tremblant II, ULC and is managed by UBC Canada. In the hotel rental pool are residential-style studios, one- and two-bedroom units and one-bedroom loft units, each with working fireplace and fully equipped kitchen and dining area. “The unit owners know theyre only going to go to Tremblant two or three times a year, so rather than have the asset sit empty, they were looking for ways to generate income from it,” said Holthouser. All of the traditional franchise fees apply. Seated onsite in the hotels buffet breakfast area, Calvin Stovall, vp-brand marketing, was asked if the condo/hotel business model would now be used more frequently. He indicated it was one way for the brand to grow, particularly in high-barrier-to-entry markets, such as Mont-Tremblant, or where a new build wouldnt be feasible from a financial standpoint. “So we will look at these on a case-by-case basis; we just have to make sure that we keep the brand consistency,” said Stovall. Holthouser felt the deal was a good fit for the brand “because we can deliver a quality, Homewood Suites experience inside that property…and theres no way you would ever get a brand-new-build prototypical Homewood Suites in this market. It would just never happen.” Traditionally, a new-construction Homewood Suites runs approximately $96,000 per key. In the case of the converted Mont-Tremblant property, the per key cost was approximately $24,000 for the property renovation, said Stovall. The major work done in Spring 2002, according to general manager Alain Houde, centered on FF&E and was designed to create a ” homogeneous product.” The property went through a major PIP (product improvement process), making sure all indicators of anything other than being an hotel were removed, and the rooms were brought up to Homewood Suites standards. “When we go out and do projects like this we have to make sure the integrity of the brand stays intact. Any Homewood Suites guest that we have could step into the property— although theres a different flavor to it and its true to its environment— and would not be shocked because all the elements are still [there],” said Stovall. The location also bodes well for the extended-stay concept, traditionally driven by business travel. At this property, its driven by leisure travel, a positive in the current environment. “Were trying to develop a Hilton-type client base,” said Houde. A lot of families are coming, and were expecting a lot of Hilton Honors guests.” However, according to Micheline Rancourt, director of sales and marketing, the property also will target tour groups, meetings groups and associations for its spring and autumn shoulder seasons. She noted the village supports a 22,000-square-foot convention center, an