Starwood Capital Group, the hotel and real estate development group headed by former Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ CEO Barry Sternlicht, has entered the extended-stay sector by debuting a brand called Uptown Suites near Charlotte and preparing to open another near Nashville.
Starwood Capital, which announced the brand on Monday, characterized it as providing “economy-priced apartment-style lodging featuring amenities commonly associated with mid- and higher-level hospitality brands.” The brand lists both nightly and weekly rates and provides amenities such as full kitchens with quartz countertops, high-speed wireless Internet, lobbies with fireplaces and electric-vehicle charging stations.
Uptown Suites hotels will be located in newly-built properties located in or near retail or dining districts. The brand will be managed by InTown Suites, which owns and manages 188 properties totaling more than 24,000 rooms in 22 states.
The brand opened its first property in Concord, N.C., about 25 miles northeast of Charlotte, and will open its second next month in Smyrna, Tenn., about 25 miles southeast of Nashville. Starwood Capital says it will have more than 10 Uptown Suites hotels by 2019.
Starwood Capital earlier this month said it would form a joint venture with Shanghai-based Shimao Property Holdings to collaborate, build, operate and brand hotels in China. Starwood Capital also owns the 1 Hotels eco-luxe brand, which has properties in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Miami Beach.