Giving guests a way to continue their routines while on the road is a trend throughout the hotel industry these days, from TVs that allow guests to stream their own content to fitness centers that allow them to work out as usual. This trend is continuing in the food-and-beverage arena, where extended-stay brands are actively helping guests feel more at home while traveling.
IHG’s Staybridge Suites brand is doing just that with a new collaboration with Carla Hall, co-host on ABC’s The Chew. Hall, who also has competed on several seasons of Top Chef, created five exclusive recipes that are delicious yet easy to make when staying at a Staybridge Suites hotel. All Staybridge Suites properties feature full-size appliances in the guestroom kitchens, which makes it easier for extended-stay guests to cook their own meals.
“We know many of our guests are away from home for days and weeks at a time, and that makes it incredibly difficult to stick to a routine,” said Raul Ortiz, VP, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites brands, Americas. “One of the many things our guests miss is the ability to prepare a home cooked meal, so, in partnering with Carla, Staybridge Suites has made it simple to take a day off of the dining out cycle and embrace the comforts of home.”
The five recipes are: Mixed Berry Overnight-Oats Parfait, Herbed Cheese and Broccoli Soufflé Omelet, Grilled Chicken Kebabs, Tomato Soup with Avocado Cheese Toast and Chili Veggie Mac. When creating these dishes, it was important to consider recipes that only required a handful of ingredients to ensure meal preparation and cooking is as straightforward as possible. Guests at all Staybridge Suites properties have access to appliances including a full-size refrigerator, stove, microwave, grill and full-size dishwasher.
“I am excited to partner with a brand like Staybridge Suites to bring new simple and delicious recipes to travelers,” Hall said. “As someone who is frequently on the road, I appreciate the value that Staybridge Suites brings its guests, and the full-size, fully-stocked kitchen makes it easy for me to do what I do best—even when I am away from home.”
Guests will be able to experience one of Hall’s recipes at 11 Staybridge Suites hotels in select cities during the month of October. Participating hotels in New Orleans, Denver and Las Vegas, among other locations across the United States, will serve the Tomato Soup with Avocado Cheese Toast at The Social, the brand’s evening happy hour.
Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham is another extended-stay brand that is striving to make its hotels feel more like home to guests. The brand conducted a survey that showed 66 percent of Americans, including 84 percent of millennials, agree being able to cook in a hotel room would make them feel more at home when traveling.
In response, a year ago the Wyndham Hotel Group brand introduced Homemade @ Hawthorn, a chef-driven in-room cooking program designed for guests to feel at home when hitting the road for long stretches.
“With a lot of unsatisfying and unexciting food options out there, it can be tough to stick to your routine on the road,” said Larry Hambro, brand VP, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham. “For travelers who are on the road for three weeks or three months, like many of our guests, a hotel stay isn’t a vacation – it’s life. Homemade @ Hawthorn gives them the ingredients they need to feel settled, at home, and on track with delicious, easy-to-make meals that can be created right in their hotel suite.”
Then in May, Hawthorn Suites took the program a step further by offering grocery delivery, bringing groceries straight to guests’ doors through new partnerships with Instacart, a retail delivery service, and Peapod, an online grocer. The service is at piloting at eight Hawthorn Suites hotels in and around Chicago; Philadelphia; Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C.; Hartford, Conn.; and Orlando.
With just a few clicks, guests at the pilot hotels can easily find and order all of the ingredients for the Homemade @ Hawthorn recipes or their most-wanted grocery items, and have them delivered straight to their hotel.
And for those whose cooking preferences lean more toward grilling, TownePlace Suites by Marriott has that covered. Last year the extended-stay brand rolled out new high-end Weber stainless steel Summit gas grills at more than 100 hotels across the U.S. and Canada. Guests have unlimited access to premium grills, tools, spices and seasoning in the outdoor patio area. Recipes inspired by TownePlace Suites’ In a Pinch market and created by Weber Grill Master Kevin Kolman can be downloaded from TownePlaceSuites.com
"We take pride in enabling our guests to remove the stress from long stays through inviting and livable guest rooms, cozy communal spaces, and easy to make recipes for our state for the art Weber grills. TownePlace Suites offers a casual and friendly environment that helps guests make the most of their time on the road,” said Diane Mayer, VP & global brand manager, TownePlace Suites.