Extended Stay Hotels Update
They’ll Keep the Smoking Sign On
April 28, 2007
By PAUL B. BROWN
By PAUL B. BROWN
IN a classic example of basic marketing — if everyone is zigging, it may be a good time for you to zag — Extended Stay Hotels is embracing smokers. The chain, which operates 682 North American properties under, among others, the Extended Stay America, Homestead Studio Suites and Crossland Economy Studios brands, recently announced it planned to keep its smokers welcome policies in place, Hotels magazine reports.
“Smokers are still welcome to light up in common areas and designated rooms,” the magazine writes. Tim Groves, Extended Stays executive vice president for sales and marketing, says there are no plans to restrict smoking anytime soon.
“Among our guests there are a lot of smokers, and we would like them to know that they can go to any of our hotels in the U.S. and Canada and be able to smoke there,” Mr. Groves said.
This policy flies in the face of smoking bans both nationwide and within major hotel chains. For example, Westin and Marriott International have banned smoking, the magazine reports.
Some 15 percent of the customers of the Extended Stay chain, which the Lightstone Group is in the process of acquiring from Blackstone for $8 billion, smoke, Mr. Groves said, adding that since the average customer stays 20 nights, forcing him to go outside every time he wanted a cigarette would not work.
Mr. Groves says there have been few complaints from nonsmokers about the company’s smoking policy.
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