Candlewood Suites Announces Opening of 200th Hotel
Rocky Mount, N.C., property marks milestone; More than 200 additional hotels in brand's pipeline
ATLANTA, GA, October 8, 2008. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG; NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms today announced that The Generation Companies ("Generation") will open the 200th Candlewood Suites hotel this month in Rocky Mount, N.C.
"This is a very important milestone for Candlewood Suites, and we're pleased with the consistent growth we've seen since IHG acquired the brand in 2003," said Robert Radomski, vice president, Brand Management, Extended-Stay Brands, IHG. "We plan to continue our robust expansion, with our pipeline currently standing at more than 200 hotels, more than any other brand in the midscale extended-stay segment," he added.
Candlewood Suites was founded in 1995 by Jack DeBoer, regarded by the industry as a pioneer of the extended-stay segment. Within four months of acquiring the brand in December 2003, IHG reversed 24 months of RevPAR decline to what is now a more than a three-year streak of positive gains. The brand will open the hotel industry's first midscale extended-stay hotel in New York City later this year.
In addition to being the 200th hotel, the Rocky Mount property features the brand's new prototype design, offering a comfortable residential look and feel incorporating a new exterior design and paint scheme, an expanded lobby and environmentally-friendly amenities.
The hotel incorporates the new exterior prototype design with a straight, forward-facing rectangular building including a new entry way and roofline for curb appeal. In addition to the new building shape, the exterior color scheme features light khaki, olive green, tan and dark blue. The new hotel has an increased outdoor residential feel with a centrally located Gazebo Grill and additional "backyard" landscaping.
The interior of the Candlewood Suites Rocky Mount features an expanded lobby area accommodating multiple sitting areas with comfortable furniture and a 42-inch flat screen television that creates a living room-type gathering place for guests. The new lobby was designed to encourage more interaction among guests and between guests and hotel team members.
The Candlewood Suites Rocky Mount is also decreasing water and energy consumption through the use of environmentally-friendly amenities, including low-flow shower heads and toilets, Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs), increased natural light and sodium vapor fixtures.
"It is fitting that Generation not only open the 200th property, but also to be among the first Candlewood Suites to open with the new prototype design," said H. Mark Daley III, President of The Generation Companies. "This opening is particularly meaningful to me as Rocky Mount, NC, is where I grew up. This market doesn't have anything like a Candlewood Suites, and I know the community is going to love it."
Guests at the Rocky Mount property can take advantage of the just-like-home amenities available at all Candlewood Suites hotels, including complimentary high-speed Internet access, free local phone calls, free on-site guest laundry and a 24-hour fitness center. Unique to Candlewood Suites, guests can also enjoy the convenience of the Candlewood Cupboard(R), where a variety of beverages, breakfast items, snacks, frozen entrees and sundries can be purchased on the honor system at any time and where guests can enjoy complimentary Juan Valdez freshly brewed coffee. Additionally, guests of the Candlewood Suites can visit the free Lending Library, where movies and music are available for use in guestrooms, which all feature a DVD and CD player.
Candlewood Suites guestrooms feature studio or one-bedroom suite floor plans with a full kitchen, comfortable recliner, large workspace with comfortable desk chair and overhead lighting. Each of the hotel's 83 guest suites features the brand's new Comforts of HomeTM Bedding Collection with upgraded mattresses and box spring sets, mattress topper, fluffy duvet inserts and poly-cotton covers matching the hotel's color scheme, 250-thread count micro-check sateen sheets in "Candlelight", triple sheeting, contemporary cotton estate blankets, choice of three upgraded pillow types in firm, medium and feather and a decorative "Consider Us Home" pillow.
The new property is located in the heart of Rocky Mount's premier industrial areas close to Nash General Hospital, Gateway Convention Center, Abbot Laboratories, RBC Centura, Honeywell and Boddie-Noel Enterprises Stonewall Mansion and Rose Hill Plantation are also a short drive away from the hotel.
The Candlewood Suites Rocky Mount is owned by Generation Suites of Rocky Mount, LLC and managed by The Generation Companies, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group, and is located at 688 English Rd., Rocky Mount, N.C., 27804. Telephone: 252-467-2550; Facsimile: 252-467-2553. Generation is the largest owner/operator of the Candlewood Suites brand.
For more information or to book a reservation at any one of the 200 Candlewood Suites hotels across the U.S. or Canada, go to www.candlewoodsuites.com or call 1-888-CANDLEWOOD.
For more information on Generation go to www.generationcompanies.com.
Candlewood Suites was recently recognized by Lodging Hospitality magazine as one of the industry's top growing brands.
Candlewood Suites participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards. The industry's first and largest guest loyalty program has more than 39 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG's more than 4,000 hotels worldwide.
Note to Editors:
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 4,000 hotels and more than 590,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel Indigo(R), and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards with over 39 million members worldwide.
IHG has more than 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 150,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com.
For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
