New lifestyle hotel brand MODO Hotel debuts at ALIS

MODO lobby

From the floors of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in San Diego, Advaya Hospitality unveiled a global lifestyle hotel brand, MODO Hotel, will make its debut in major markets around the world, starting with a minimum of five properties in India and another five in Brazil.

Advaya also is in the early stages of establishing a fund to acquire strategic assets and build new hotels, targeting major U.S. markets like New York, Kansas City and Miami.

The brand will feature urban, Bauhaus-esque loft design. Guest lofts and suites will have an open, airy look with 10-foot ceilings and large windows or glass walls. The light-filled rooms will feature earth-friendly materials, such as polished concrete, brick, stained cork and distressed wood. Lofts will be residential with a soft, neutral color palette and rich fabrics.

Custom lighting and furnishings will include large desks with ergonomic chairs and ottomans. The beds will be decked out with the MODO SNOOZE bedding system featuring luxurious linens. Offering the comforts of home, all lofts will have free Wi-Fi, iPod docks and 26- to 32-inch flat-screen high-definition televisions.

Full-service MODO hotels will house 100 or more rooms, a lively restaurant-lounge, courtyard, pool, meeting and event space, library, retail shop and gym. Nightly rates will be in sync with today’s value-conscious travelers and the local markets. In the U.S., rates at full-service properties are targeted to range from $90 – $150 per night with the exception of some larger gateway cities. Additionally, a line of budget lifestyle lodgings will launch in international markets this year, creating a new niche.

During the next three years, MODO will roll out in major metropolitan markets in Brazil. Five to ten 150-room hotels will be strategically located in the fastest growing cities of Sao Paulo, Campinas, Curitiba, Vitoria and Manaus.

MODO founder John Russel announces the brand at ALIS 2011.

MODO in Brazil will be developed by the newly formed ABR Brazil LLC, a joint venture between MODO and BridgeRock Capital Management LLC. Additionally, during the second half of this year, a MODO sister brand will premier in India, creating a new market niche of budget lifestyle hotels. Over the next three years, a minimum of five budget lifestyle hotels will launch in India under the MODO sister brand.

The 60- to 80-room lodgings will have limited food and beverage offerings and small meeting rooms. They will be located in the cities of Chennai, Tuticorin, Kakinada, Vizag and Vellore. Building costs for a full-service MODO hotel will be approximately $110,000 per key, including average land cost, with variations in major gateway cities.

Inside the new properties, the RPM restaurant-lounge will be located on the ground floor right near the entrance, drawing people in with its soaring 14-foot ceilings, innovative lighting, and long comfortable couches. Through a partnership with Downtown Music, LLC, MODO will offer guests access to thousands of tracks from independent marquee and emergent artists worldwide. Music will be available in vinyl, CD and MP3 formats.

In full-service MODO hotels, fans will gather for the music, cool bars and live entertainment. The high-energy venue will offer a mix of dining

MODO Guestroom

options from sit-down meals featuring fresh, local ingredients with international flair to tasty fare available 24/7 for guests eating on the run. With good spirits and cuisine, MODO will have a fun and casual vibe that will spill out onto the courtyard, where guests will find a lap pool, large patios and plush contemporary furnishings.

Among the other full-service amenities, MODO will have innovative meeting and event space, an open-floor-plan business center and high-tech gym. Located on the ground floor, meeting rooms will present a lofty space with large windows and 11-foot ceilings. Spanning 550 square feet, the rooms will accommodate groups of up to 50 people and offer state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and free Wi-Fi throughout.

Also on the ground floor, the MODO gym will be sunny and bright with 11-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. Using creative murals and wall textures, the 550-square-foot space will showcase regionally inspired décor. Along with carefully culled MODO music, guests will find state-of-the-art cardio equipment, free weights and a large flat-screen television.

Franchising is slated to begin later this year. Additional expansion is planned through a combination of acquisitions, new development and conversions of existing properties. Among the target countries are China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.