The Super 8 economy brand is looking for some input on its next room design.
The Wyndham Hotels & Resorts economy brand, which has nearly 2,900 properties around the world, is inviting aspiring designers to submit renderings for what will eventually become the brand’s “Room8” (that’s pronounced “roommate”) concept.
The winning candidate will work alongside interior designer and television personality Alison Victoria to design a hotel room that accommodates four or more guests with individual sleeping spaces for each guest; apartment-size fridge and microwave, multiple outlets and storage; and a social space that includes a large TV and “unique, unexpected elements that encourage socialization.” And furnishing the room shouldn’t cost more than US$5,000.
Applications are being accepted through July 20 for designers, who must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada, excluding Quebec, and will receive a US$10,000 design fee upon successful completion of the project.
HOTELS asked Mike Mueller, Super 8’s brand leader and SVP of operations, about Wyndham’s intentions for the Room8 spaces.
HOTELS: How many rooms will the brand develop? Will these be added space in existing Super 8s?
Mike Mueller: Our goal is to pilot Room8 at four to five of our hotels across the U.S. and Canada over the course of the next year, each leveraging existing room space within each hotel. Once we have proof of concept and are able to evaluate the return on investment, we’ll then work to expand the offering more broadly, with the ultimate goal of having the concept available at every Super 8 by Wyndham where it makes sense to do so.
The long-term objective isn’t to force fit Room8 into every hotel but rather give owners and hotels that need something like Room8 — of which we think there are many — the ability to offer it.
H: How involved has the franchise community been in the development of the concept?
MM: This initiative was born out of dialogue with our franchisees as well as our franchisee advisory council around how we can build upon the tremendous success we’ve seen with our recent redesign. There’s a real appetite to explore how we can continue driving great returns for owners while further elevating the overall guest experience. We think this concept has the opportunity to do both and do so in a way that’s not only unique to Super 8 but really the economy segment as a whole.
H: What is the projected cost to franchisees, and will they have to pull rooms out of their properties to develop these rooms?
MM: It’s a bit too soon to get into costs and pricing given the early stage that we’re in. That said, we’ve given designers an aggressive target of developing Room8 at a cost of under US$5,000 per room, and we’re eager to see what they come up with.
This is about sensible design. We’re not looking for owners to have to knock down walls, move electrical outlets or re-work plumbing. Instead, we want to give them a smart concept that takes advantage of the space and room layouts they already have. What’s more, we fully anticipate that the winning design will further evolve along the way — that’s part of the reason we’re working with Alison — and as is the case with any project of this scope, we intend to value-engineer the final offering, ensuring we provide owners with not only a high-quality concept but also the best possible return.
