Staybridge Suites debuts outside the Americas
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Staybridge Suites debuts outside the Americas
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Category: Worldwide - Industry economy
- Hotel opening
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2008-06-20
- Liverpool home to the UK's first Staybridge Suites
- Launch of Staybridge Suites Cairo CityStars this weekend
- Expansion to Russia as first two Staybridge Suites hotels signed today
Following the success of Staybridge Suites in North America, this week sees the opening of ground-breaking properties in Liverpool and Cairo.
As the fastest growing hotel segment in the US, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) - which owns the brand - are leading the way in the introduction of the extended stay concept to Europe and across the Middle East, aimed at guests who usually stay for more than five nights.
The 132-suite Staybridge Suites Liverpool hotel was officially opened by Andrew Cosslett, IHG's CEO. In keeping with its philosophy of combining the best of home and hotel, guests were welcomed to the UK's first Staybridge Suites hotel following the symbolic fireplace-lighting ceremony.
Speaking at the opening event Andrew Cosslett said: "Liverpool has been very much in the international spotlight this year as the European Capital of Culture and it is therefore a fitting destination for us to introduce our very first Staybridge Suites extended-stay hotel, outside the Americas."
"Our research indicates there's a growing type of traveller who is away from home for many days, or even weeks at a time and would prefer their hotel to feel more like home compared to a regular hotel. It is this gap between conventional hotels and serviced apartments that Staybridge Suites' homely combination of the domestic environment with traditional hotel services has been designed to bridge. From an owner perspective, the brand provides a great investment opportunity thanks to the comparatively low build cost and the stable revenues that one can expect in the extended-stay market, making us confident that the concept will succeed this side of the Atlantic."
The hotel group took advantage of the launch event to showcase future developments across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Staybridge Suites Cairo CityStars was confirmed as opening its doors in just a few days time, Saturday 21 June 2008, for the first stage of the hotel's phased opening. This property will be the fourth IHG hotel within the innovative CityStars retail complex.
Meanwhile, IHG's expansion into Russia's growing business and leisure markets continues with agreements also signed today to build the country's first two Staybridge Suites properties. Speaking of the Russian developments Cosslett commented: "IHG is already the biggest hotel operator in Russia and, with the strong demand for internationally-branded hotels combined with a booming economy, we are confident the extended-stay concept will be warmly received."
The 176-room Staybridge Suites St. Petersburg - Moskovskaya Vorota was signed under a franchise agreement with Light Road LLC. The owners are due to unveil the first Holiday Inn in the city this November and the new Staybridge property, expected to open in Spring 2009, will be built on the same site.
Management contracts for both the 78-suite Staybridge Suites Nizhny Novgorod and the adjoining 202-room Crowne Plaza Nizhny Novgorod were also signed with the Clover Group. Nizhny Novgorod is the fourth largest and one of the most rapidly developing cities in the Russian Federation.
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