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A legacy brand reinvents itself
Staying in a big Baymont guestroom is pleasantly different. It's fresh, it's airy, it's functional. Business travelers are used to one-- bedroom suites where they car sleep and work. In extended-- stay, such suites often are compartmentalized, bed in one area, workspace in another. In the midpriced segment, they come in many configurations.
What's striking about the king room in the Baymont Inn & Suites in the rapidly growing Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin is its fluidity and class. Not only are there two 25-inch TVs, there's a high-tech desk with task lighting, a phone with dataport, a sofa, two chairs, a whirlpool bath, a microwave and minifridge in a separate living-roomcabinet-and lots of space.
In a typical property of 100 units, half are double doubles, 40 percent are king bedded rooms like this one, and 10 percent are one- and two-bedroom suites.
Geared toward the business traveler, like many other brands, Baymont is designed for on-road productivity. The bonus is, it's laid out and equipped so artfully, it gives the brain room to breathe.
A steal at the introductory rate of $69, this room exemplifies the Baymont product: upscale limited-service, or, as Baymont prefers, midmarket. Since Baymont evolved from venerable Budgetel two years ago, the Marcus Corp. brand has become a Player in a highly competitive field, vying with such established names as Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Fairfield Inn by Marriott. Catch the New Berlin Baymont King Whirlpool suite now; in mid-May, the rate rises to $149.
"I Like Baymont," says Stephen Rushmore, founder and president of HVS International. "For a company to change its name from Budgetel to Baymont and get recognition so quickly is extraordinary."
Budgetel "was a more upscale product from the beginning," Rushmore says, "and as it changed over and expanded, the quality has been maintained. The advantage of Baymont is that a large portion of the properties are company-owned, so the company can set really high standards and maintain consistency."
Baymont has moved from upper economy to midmarket; seriously entered franchising; and increased its ADR. In the process, it has evolved from a mom-and-pop operation to a professional one.
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