NEW YORK— Effective February 1, Marriott ExecuStay is doubling its franchised markets as the result of a single deal, adding 11 markets via a franchise agreement with Wichita, KS-based Suite Options, Inc. It is the largest such contract for Marriott International’s corporate housing arm since the division began franchising in July 2002. Speaking January 22 at The Aurora, the newly opened 32-story building here at 554 Third Ave. that encompasses 126 luxury studio and one-bedroom ExecuStay units, Joe Lavin, evp/managing director for the division, said the deal with corporate housing veteran Bill Jackson would bring seven new territories to the ExecuStay fold. Suite Options will operate in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, TX; Kansas City, MO; Little Rock, AR; Jacksonville, FL; Des Moines, IA; Wichita and the state of Kansas; Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma; and the state of Nebraska. “One of the things that’s great about this deal is not only does it double our size on the franchise side of the business, it’s with a great company. Suite Options is a big player, well known. Their owner, Bill Jackson, is one of the most respected operators in the industry. He’s also in the furniture business, the amenities business— a lot of tangential things that he’s in touch the corporate housing industry…they are the type of people that we grow with, they’re customer centric, and they really recognize the need to be connected to a national network like us,” said Lavin. The evp said two more franchise agreements are coming down the pike and are expected to close on on February 1, with contracts for Baltimore, MD, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. This will bring the number of Marriott ExecuStay franchise agreements to 24. Lavin said taken together with the corporation’s managed presence, e.g., The Aurora, the brand is in 37 major metro areas nationwide. These deals, said Lavin, are indicative “of how we struck the chord within corporate housing to unify the industry under a banner and distribution network, under a paradigm that allows others to succeed through us. And one by one, we believe the key independent operators in most major markets where we’re not managing, will want to be part of this system.” Lavin indicated the Marriott ExecuStay pipeline was “very strong” and expected to have more than 30 major franchise partners by year’s end.— Stefani C. O’Connor
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