Hyatt Summerfield Suites Fights 'Dine Out Burnout'

Knowing that travel today can often be a alienating experience—.particularly for those many road warriors out there—.over the last few years the hotel industry has responded by revamping concepts to give customers more of a home-away-from-home experience.

By Karyn Strauss, Senior Editor -- HOTELS Magazine, 7/1/2007

Knowing that travel today can often be an alienating experience—particularly for those many road warriors out there—over the last few years the hotel industry has responded by revamping concepts to give customers more of a home-away-from-home experience. The biggest change on this front has been from a design standpoint, where guest rooms have taken on a more residential ambience, mirroring either what customers already have at home, or serving as an aspirational cue for what they wish they had. We’ve seen this in everything from upgraded beds and linens to new and improved showerheads and in-room technology.

Domestic guru Katie Brown, above, has partnered with Hyatt Summerfield Suites to launch More Like Home, a new program that includes weekly Grilling Socials.

From a food and beverage perspective, we’ve seen this trend translate into more choices for customers, including such opposites as healthier fare and more comfort foods. And for many of the new hotel brands under development, 24-hour grab-and-go concepts, which emphasize freshly made items from snacks to salads to sandwiches, are becoming the norm.

Each suite includes a full kitchen to prepare Brown’s signature easy-to-make recipes.

But creating that homey environment is nothing new to the extended-stay segment of the industry, where guests stay an average of five days or more. Yet as the segment has become more competitive, here, too, brands have had to upgrade their offerings to accommodate evolving consumer trends. Today these concepts often include full, high-end in-room kitchens and ample public space where guests can gather for evening cocktail receptions and, now thanks to Hyatt Summerfield Suites, even barbecues.

Hyatt Summerfield Suites, one of the newest extended-stay brands, is upping the ante on residential appeal with its new “More Like Home” program. More Like Home came about after findings from a recent Hyatt survey discovered that 80% of Americans get tired of eating out while traveling after just one to three days on the road. Seizing this opportunity to therefore provide travelers with alternatives to restaurant dining, the brand has partnered with lifestyle expert and author Katie Brown, who hosts the television show "The Katie Brown Workshop" on PBS. The More Like Home program features Brown’s signature, easy-to-make recipes and evening social gatherings. The hotels will go one step further by providing both on-property food markets as well as offering free grocery shopping services.

“Katie Brown is most known for easy, inexpensive and contemporary ideas for cooking, and more importantly, she makes everything—from a house to a hotel room—feel more like home,” explains Alison Kal, vice president of marketing, Hyatt Summerfield Suites. “Her ‘cook, nest and grow’ philosophy coupled with her ‘keep it simple’ motto align perfectly with the Hyatt Summerfield Suites brand.”

Each Hyatt Summerfield Suites’ guest suite, all of which feature full kitchens, will include Brown’s recipes for in-room cooking, which were created exclusively for the brand and include entrées, dips, marinades, dressings, specialty drinks and snack options. Brown also offers tips on how to create new dishes using leftovers—a handy bonus for those long hotel stays. The recipes can be downloaded from the brand’s Web site as well.

For a more social option, the chain has launched weekly Grilling Socials. Guests can gather to enjoy signature barbecue dishes once again created by Brown exclusively for Hyatt Summerfield Suites. Such fare includes spiced up mini burgers, pizza blanco, grilled Mexicali corn and brownies with caramel drizzle.

Kal says the heart of the program is about providing guests with more choices. “Our survey shows that 82% of Americans who are tired of eating out while traveling say they crave healthier meal options instead of fast food. Other travelers (65%) crave simple meals instead of three-course dinners, and 74% of travelers stated they are simply tired of choosing from the same restaurant food offerings. At Hyatt Summerfield Suites, we give guests options,” Kal says. “Our goal is provide guests with the resources and amenities they need to seamlessly make their hotel experience more like their everyday experiences at home.”

While the program is new, Kal says the company already has received “tremendous positive feedback.” Recipes will continue to expand as the program evolves, she adds