InTown Suites Has Ideas Beyond Suburban Addition

NEW YORK CITY— Atlanta, GA-based InTown Suites is well into implementing a $12-million investment initiative to upgrade the 65 Suburban Lodge properties it acquired last month to meet InTown Suites standards. As InTown Suites President David Vickers told HOTEL BUSINESS® during the course of the opening festivities marking the start of the 24th Annual NYU International Hospitality Investment Conference here: “Our focus for the next 90 days is to convert the properties, install our systems, and start operating them [under]the InTown Suites philosophy.” Noting all 65 newly acquired assets are already in some stage of conversion, Vickers maintained: “All of the signage— and the bulk of the actual conversion work— is expected to be completed by the end of this month.” Moreover, it seems the company’s spending plans won’t end with the conversion of the Suburban properties. Indeed, it seemed Vickers (and InTown Suites) expect to remain active in the acquisition market. As the economy extended-stay executive pointed out, the industry shouldn’t expect InTown Suites to be a one-off buyer; rather, Vickers said his eye is particularly peeled for group-purchase opportunities that may present themselves.—Michael Billig