SAN FRANCISCO—Hilton Hotels is capitalizing on the rising consumer recognition of its Homewood Suites brand by expanding the chain, most recently with opening of a 177-suite property here. Hilton is defining the extended-stay market here “as ripe with opportunity” for additional hotels with the new Homewood Suites by Hilton San Francisco-Airport North representing the 120th property bearing the Homewood flag. The brand strength of the Hilton name has provided an added boost to the fledgling Homewood brand, which was originally part of Promus Hotel Corp. until December 2000 when Hilton purchased the company. “The brand awareness is definitely growing, a lot of guests already know the name,” said Kristal Eckley, corporate director of sales and marketing, Sage Hospitality Resources, which manages the chain’s newest property. “Five years ago, no one knew the Homewood Suites name.” “The addition of Hilton [to the Homewood Suites brand]has definitely leveled the playing field with competitors,” said Toni Jacaruso, regional director of Homewood Suites, who added that the West Coast represents the greatest opportunity for further growth of the brand. Those competitors consist of only a Residence Inn and a local extended-stay property, in addition to a nearby Courtyard by Marriott. “The need for upscale hotels that cater to guests staying more than a few nights greatly exceeds the available supply in the San Francisco area,” said Debbie Gudmundson, the hotel’s gm. “I expect this market to be tremendous,” added Jacaruso, “It’s the only all-suites brand in this area.” Although the brand does have a presence in several nearby locations, including San Jose, Del Mar and Newark, CA, Hilton maintains that San Francisco is a very different market and will attract both business and leisure travelers potentially providing room for even further growth within the market. This newest Homewood Suites by Hilton, which is owned by Brisbane Partners, represents one of the brand’s new prototypes offering more suites. It is also larger than the chain’s typical unit and in close proximity to the San Francisco Airport, as well as the downtown area. The property, which officially opened after more than a year of construction, is an all-interior corridor location and offers a view of the nearby San Francisco bay in some suites. The four-story property offers residential-style studio, one and two bedroom suites, with fully equipped kitchens, as well as sleeping and living areas. However, just because the new property is positioned as an extended-stay hotel it does not mean it cannot draw consumers looking for shorter stays, company executives said. “The consumer traveling one or two nights can be comfortable,” said Gudmundson. Homewood Suites is offering promotional rates, with studio suites priced at $89, in an effort to boost occupancy. The rates range from $129 to $189 for the suites. There are 116 studios, 56 one-bedroom suites and five two-bedroom suites. Management at the new property can also tap into Hilton’s recently established do-it-yourself initiative. The online product provides property management with a marketing overview of the brand’s target audiences as well as media strategies, in addition to details regarding other available internal brand marketing programs. The company can create custom print ads from this and send it directly to the desired publications. The new Homewood also expects to benefit from Hilton’s name with regards to the Hilton Hhonors guest reward program. By accumulating Points Miles, guests can earn discounts from up to 70 major airlines, car rental, and other travel companies. Eckley noted that chief among management’s initiatives was to establish a superior level of service for the hotel, consistent with the Hilton brand.
