Homewood Opens in Hartford

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. October 14, 2008

HARTFORD, CT, December 3, 2007. Homewood Suites by Hilton has opened the 116-suite Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel Hartford - Downtown.

The new Homewood Suites hotel is owned by McSam Hartford LLC and managed by Magna Hospitality Group DBA MHG Hartford HW. As interest and growth in downtown areas have risen drastically over the past several years, the urban market now offers a wealth of potential extended stay business - an ideal opportunity for Homewood Suites development.

The Homewood Suites by Hilton brand has a number of properties situated in the heart of many downtown locations, putting visitors right in the center of a wide variety of shopping, dining and attractions.

"This build demonstrates Homewood Suites' continued foray into a wide variety of markets, and we are excited to offer this property as an attractive lodging option to those visiting the Hartford area," said Carol Sikora, general manager. "We are thrilled to be part of Homewood Suites' continued growth and development."

The Homewood Suites by Hilton Hartford hotel is adjacent to beautiful Bushnell Park and conveniently located near the Civic Center, the Federal Building and only blocks from Union Station and the Convention Center. The building was the former Bond Hotel, one of the first hotels in Hartford. The Bond opened in 1913 and operated as a hotel until 1965. In 1965 the Arch Diocese of Hartford bought the building and turned it into the St. Francis School of Nursing. The School of Nursing operated until 2000.

To aid development in already-crowded urban areas, the brand offers a flexible suite-type, called the "shotgun suite", for builders who choose to renovate older properties. These suites offer guests the same experience as a prototypical studio suite, but the shotgun suites are more lateral and narrow. This design allows developers to fit more suites into a smaller space.

Developers are given the opportunity to arrange these suite types to best maximize their space and to meet consumer demand. Like this new hotel in Hartford, Homewood Suites has a number of hotels located in urban areas, including Edgewater, NJ; Indianapolis-Downtown; Baltimore, Chicago-Downtown; and Seattle-Downtown.

Homewood Suites recently completed Phase I of its Distinctly Homewood upgrades - a five-year product enhancement program launched in 2005 - which included upgrades to exercise facilities, guest bathrooms and bedding packages at most hotels.

Phase II is now underway, which will include the addition of Dual Massage showerheads by WaterPik and completion of bedding upgrades across remaining hotels. Final completion is scheduled to coincide with the Homewood Suites brand's 20th anniversary in 2009.

The brand also collaborated with Hilton Hotels Corporation's Supply Management team and a top hospitality industry interior designer to introduce three Distinctly Homewood guest suite concepts. The FF&E packages give developers increased design flexibility while reflecting the core elements of the Distinctly Homewood program - Relevance, Consistency and Distinctiveness.