LAS VEGAS—At the Super 8 Motels convention being held here this weekend at Bally’s, bets are down by corporate executives that a new rooms concept—developed by the same design team behind lifestyle brand Hotel Indigo—will help propel the Wyndham Worldwide economy brand back into a leadership position in the years ahead. More than 1,800 attendees—double the number since Super 8’s last convention in 2005—got a glimpse of what the future could look like for the 33-year-old brand if the sleek and contemporary concept, which has an early 1960s retro feel, is embraced. While the room design will not be mandated, the corporate expectation is that franchisees would be willing to make the investment—at a cost equal to or less then the current average cost to build or renovate their rooms—so that the brand can continue to capture business from its current core customer, whose average age is 53. The aim also is to attract new clientele in the form of Generations X and Y, or as Super 8 President John Valletta put it, “Generation Next.” “Theres a connection to nostalgia, to Americana. A connection to Super 8 being a chunk of Americana. We’ve been around long enough that the people who were staying with us when they were 28 are now in their sixties and now we have to introduce it to a new batch of 28-year-olds. But we have to keep it appealing to the 60-year-olds as well,” Valletta told HOTEL BUSINESS®. “One way to do that is that connection to the past. And retro is becoming so hip we really think we’ve found a way to join the two together.” “Everything old is new again,” agreed Roseanne Zusman, Super 8 vp/marketing. Additionally, she cautioned attendees that “if we don’t start becoming part of the consideration set for that Gen-X traveler, 10 or 20 years from now we’re going to find ourselves a lodging chain that used to do a lot of business back in the early days of the 21st century. And for those of you who are looking to build a business to pass on to your family or to assure your retirement down the road, this should be a sobering thought.” Conceived by Atlanta, GA-based Back Lot Productions, the room prototype is 180 degrees from what is now offered by the chain. It utilizes a sky blue and lime green palette together with orange accents. Room highlights include platform beds whose headboards incorporate large black and white photographic images (which may be regionalized), double-sided, contrasting bed covers in stain-resistant fabric, an entryway vanity to hold guest items such as cell phone chargers or keys, and amenities such as in-room coffee makers. There’s also a modular wall unit that can hold a television set or be used for extra seating if franchisees opt to have a flat-screen, wall-mounted TV. Cubby holes are used instead of drawers for guest-clothing storage. Another option is vinyl plank flooring, which looks like wood, and may be softened by layering on a shag rug. The bathroom also has some segment enhancements. A two-tiered vanity delivers more surface space and a towel caddy eliminates the need for a towel rack. A resin tub surround subtly incorporates the number eight and a curved shower rod with hookless shower curtain creates the perception of more space. Zusman noted the new room would “go a long way in making the Super 8 brand relevant and appealing to the Gen-X consumer who’s traveling, but most often not staying with us.” While revolutionary for the brand, the room prototype is just one aspect of “self-improvement’ Super 8 is addressing to propel itself successfully into the future as a more significant segment and industry player. Valletta told the record number of attendees he wanted them to leave the conference “really feeling good about the brand, the chain and their investment in the franchise.” “The focus of the convention is all about the future,” Valletta told HOTEL BUSINESS®; however, the chain also has been aggressive about changing the here and now, and has boosted its fundamentals in
Super 8 Motels President John Valletta