CARROLLTON, TX—Motel 6 has very high hopes for its new Phoenix Prototype, which was designed to bring a more contemporary look to the economy brand. In addition to elements such as ambient lighting, bright colors, contemporary furniture and flat-screen televisions, the prototype will also be making a statement with new laminate flooring. According Olivier Poirot, CEO of Accor North America, Motel 6 and Studio 6, there were a number of reasons the brand opted to go with laminate flooring versus more traditional carpeting. “When we started working on the new prototype we were very focused on making everything more contemporary. Hard surface flooring with a wood look has become very popular and we wanted something that aesthetically would create a ‘wow’ factor when guests walked into the rooms,” he said. The brand was also drawn to the cleaner image the laminate flooring conveyed compared with carpet. “The laminate is much more hygienic than carpet and that really appealed to us,” Poirot said. “Our decisions are always led by how we can offer the best value to our customers and we felt they would see the value in the flooring’s clean properties. With carpet, you’re eventually going to have odors.” After testing a widespread variety of different flooring products, Motel 6 decided on wood-effect laminate flooring from Tarkett. The product is composed of four separate layers that are pressed together in order to provide optimal strength and durability—two very important requirements considering the wear and tear the floors will be subjected to by hotel guests. The top layer of the flooring, in particular, is composed of aluminum oxide and melamine in order to better resist scuffing and scratching. “We found the flooring to be extremely scratch resistant which is very important because the floors must be able to withstand abuse,” Poirot said. An added bonus to the laminate flooring is that it is environmentally friendly. The product is made of 80% pre-consumer recycled material, including an inner core of oak and cherry wood chips that would otherwise have be burned or sent to a landfill. “As a brand, we try our best to be very environmentally minded,” Poirot said, noting Motel 6 was careful to choose a flooring manufacturer based in the U.S. to reduce the amount of transportation needed for product delivery. “With the durability of the product and its sustainable properties, it really offers us the best of both worlds.” In addition to making the rooms look cleaner and larger, Poirot noted the laminate flooring will also save cleaning time compared with carpet. “The floors just need to be mopped daily, which reduces time and electric consumption,” he said. “It also saves us money because we no longer have the expense of steam cleaning carpets.” The new flooring will be installed in all future Motel 6 hotels as well as in existing properties when they are renovated. The first property featuring the Phoenix Prototype will open in the Dallas area in 2009.