Designed to Dream - Sleep Inn Hotels Get Refreshed with New Look and Feel

LAS VEGAS, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Are you getting enough rest? 39 percent of American adults admit to getting less than the recommended allowance of at least seven hours of rest per night, according to a study by the National Sleep Foundation. In fact, 74 percent of adults experience trouble getting to bed a few nights a week or more, and more than one in three (37 percent) are so tired during the day that it interferes with daily activities.* But hopefully getting a good night's rest doesn't have to be a concern anymore for weary travelers out on the road. That's the idea behind the new refreshed look and feel of Sleep Inn hotels, announced by parent franchisor Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) at the company's annual convention today in Las Vegas, Nev.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100505/PH96970 )

"When travelers think of getting a good night's rest while out on the road, we want them to think of Sleep Inn," said Bruce Haase, executive vice president of global brands, marketing and operations for Choice Hotels. "And we believe that we've provided them with a beautiful new design that will help to do just that."

The ultimate goal in redesigning the Sleep Inn brand is to provide a simply stylish and reliable stay experience that leaves guests feeling well rested. Among some of the new design highlights for the brand's refresh that help to achieve this include:

• New lobby designs with warm, natural finishes, unique lighting features, and graphic accent walls.
• Guestrooms redesigned with accent walls, new media boards with flat screen TVs, sleek new furniture lines, leaning mirrors, striking zebra-patterned wood finishes, innovative bedding coverlets plus bedscarfs, and eye-catching collages of black and white photography.
• Spa-like baths feature chic freestanding vanities, modern wall sconces, accent walls, frameless glass showers, and bamboo-like tiles.
• Redesigned exterior with natural stone finishes, feature lighting, an enhanced tower feature, low roof profile and broad overhangs.

The brand's new design will be available in all future new construction Sleep Inn hotels, and a cost-effective renovation program for existing hotels to adopt the new schemes as well is also in place. Now, future and existing Sleep Inn hotels have five total design themes to choose from, including Sky, Sprout, Terra Cotta, Summer and Grove, each of which were designed to reflect the variety of landscapes and regions across the country, so that each hotel fits in with its natural environment. These five themes have all been created using soothing colors, materials and aesthetic elements, created and designed in part with the global design firm Gensler.

"With the brand's first redesign property already open and operating in Rogers, Minn., guest feedback to the new look has been extremely positive," said Alexandra Jaritz, vice president of brand planning and management for Choice Hotels. "In fact, since its grand opening, the hotel has become one of the top properties in the system now, with guest satisfaction scores coming in well above their competitors."

The Sleep Inn & Suites hotel of Rogers is specifically ranking well above the bar in Likelihood to Recommend (LTR), one of the industry's key driver's in overall guest satisfaction, as well as in the Overall Room Condition and Staff Service categories. Also, in initial testing of the brand's five new design packages, the intent to stay among consumers and target guests more than doubled.

The Sleep Inn redesign can also be seen in the newly-opened Sleep Inn & Suites Round Rock, Texas and Harrisburg, Penn. properties, the second and third hotels to open with the new look and design. The Sleep Inn brand currently boasts close to 400 open and operating hotels across the United States and four countries, comprising close to 30,000 rooms with an additional 121 properties currently under development. For more information on the new Sleep Inn, visit SleepInn.com.

About Choice

Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,000 hotels, representing more than 485,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 35 other countries and territories.  As of March 31, 2010, more than 600 hotels are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 52,000 rooms, and more than 100 hotels, representing approximately 8,200 rooms, are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 20 other countries and territories.  The company's Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands serve guests worldwide.  In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Web site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

© 2010 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

*According to the 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.