NEW YORK -- Hampton Inn, the midprice brand of Hilton Hotels Corp.,
opened its first Manhattan hotel last month, the 144-room Hampton
Inn Chelsea.
The hotel, located at 108 W. 24th St. between Sixth and Seventh
avenues, is the second of five Hampton Inn properties planned for
the city by 2005. The Hampton Inn at Kennedy Airport opened two
years ago in Queens.
Hampton Inn officials said the new property represents the
brand's continuing expansion into urban markets from its more
traditional roadside and suburban locations. In recent years, urban
markets have accounted for about 10% of Hampton's expansion.
"We have had great success with Hampton Inn in urban markets,"
said Neil Shah, director of development for Hersha Hospitality
Management in Harrisburg, Pa., which owns the Hampton Inn Chelsea
and the new Hampton Inn Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel.
One reason for the brand's popularity in urban markets is price.
For example, the Hampton Inn Chelsea's opening rate will be $159,
compared with an average rate of $172 for hotels in the nearby
midtown west district and $194 in the financial district, according
to PricewaterhouseCoopers' Manhattan hotel index.
"The price value is a very real attraction," Shah said.
Phil Cordell, Hampton Inn's senior vice president, said, "With
the costs of new construction and other factors, Manhattan
historically has been a challenging market for limited-service
brands to break into.
"[But] even in today's travel environment, consumer demand for
midprice lodging is still strong, and that led to financing
opportunities for hotel developers to build in urban centers like
New York, where before, travelers had a choice of either upscale
hotels or generally older, less-modern properties," he said.
At 20 stories, the Chelsea is the tallest of Hampton's 1,200
hotels. Rooms offer high-speed Internet access, work desks,
coffeemakers, and irons and ironing boards. The hotel features a
fitness center and an outdoor patio.
Hersha Hospitality is developing two other Hampton Inns in
Manhattan: The 65-room Hampton Inn Seaport Financial District,
which is scheduled to open this winter, and the 136-room Hampton
Inn Herald Square, which is set to open in 2005.
For information or reservations, call (800) 426-7866 or visit www.hilton.com.
To contact reporter Jorge Sidron, send e-mail to [email protected].