CHARLOTTE, NC— Given that it’s a membership association that has always eschewed uniformity, Best Western International seems like a strange choice to promote a prototype design. But with an increasing number of owners attracted to the brand, Best Western understood the value of being able to offer a new-construction prototype that had all the brand standards built in. “We wanted owners interested in a new build to see what the prototype could achieve, but it’s not necessarily intended to be the final word,” said president/CEO David Kong. “Owners are entitled to adapt it as it suits their individual needs, assuming the brand standards are respected.” Charlotte-based OHM Hotels, taking Kong at his word, is among the first owners to sign off on building one of the four prototype designs. The new hotel, OHM’s second Best Western, will be built across from the Raleigh Airport. “We’re taking one of the Stoneridge prototypes provided by Best Western and manicuring it to meet the requirements of our particular market and the particular site we own,” said OHM director Vinay Patel. Patel and his team were impressed first with the prototype’s overall fresh look and strong curb appeal. “The most visible change we’re making is to increase the number of floors from three, as specified in the design, to five. We’re also adjusting the mix of room types,” he said. Plus OHM is in the process of customizing the prototype to enlarge the public spaces. “This is why we haven’t yet finalized the number of keys. The prototype calls for 81 keys. We’ll likely end up somewhere between 81 and 100,” said Patel, whose existing Best Western is the 85-suite Best Western Crown Suites in Pineville, NC. With permitting applications out and the bidding process underway, OHM expects to break ground on the new hotel in September or October. Construction should take 12 months. Best Western recruited the Seattle-based architectural firm of Elkins + Fletcher to develop the prototypes. The four share the same interior layouts; exteriors vary along regional lines. The cost per key (minus land costs) was originally pegged at $65,000. Rapidly rising construction costs, however, has revised that number upwards to $70,000 per key. Patel declined to comment on costs for the Raleigh Airport project because final details are still incomplete. Even though OHM, which owns and operates a total of five limited-service properties, doesn’t intend to build the prototype as designed, Patel appreciates Best Western’s making the investment to develop it. “We first saw a mock-up of the prototype at the annual brand conference last fall. Being able to see an actual model made it very persuasive, In the same way, you’d want to see a model in the showroom before buying a car,” Patel said. “Other of our hotels are new construction, so we know that working from a prototype gives you a head start in terms of time and expense. Why reinvent the wheel?” By incorporating all the current Best Western brand standards, the prototype is designed to help ensure OHM will build a product responsive to the needs of today’s guests. “Travelers’ expectations have grown increasingly sophisticated, including at the limited-service level, so working with the prototype is a like a litmus test. Do people want more living space? Public space? Workspace? It’s a way to ensure we’re delivering a product guests want,” Patel said. Most of the existing hotels in the immediate area of the Raleigh Airport property are seven-to-12 years old. “Consequently, coming to the market with a new property should be a competitive advantage,” Patel said. “That becomes a factor in the ROI equation, what we’re spending per key versus the projected ADR we can charge.” From Best Western’s perspective, Patel agrees that having minimum standards built into the prototype is a way to ensure there’ll be consistency across the brand. “This is especially important for first-time owners who may not appreciate how important consistency is.” At the same time, Patel agrees that as a membership association Best Western has a long history of individuality. “There’s no cookie-cutter mentality. North Carolina is different from New York, so the same hotel won’t work.”
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