Long-Term Lodging Newcomer stayAPT Suites Offers Guests a Seamless Connected Experience
stayAPT Suites refers to themselves as an apartment-style hotel brand that’s positioned in the mid-tier section of the long-term lodging industry. Their guest suites are designed to look like a 500 square-foot one-bedroom apartment with a dedicated living area, kitchen, bathroom and a bedroom that is completely separated from the living and dining area via a hallway. The brand is currently operating nine hotels but will have more than 20 hotels fully operational by the end of the year.
“Both stayAPT Suites and our guests feel that this design is a game changer in the long-term lodging space,” says Jennifer Kearney, Chief Marketing Officer.
In addition to its unique design, this lodging brand is committed to always providing 100 percent new construction, which has really helped support its technology strategy.
For example, traditional hotels typically bring their technology through a coax cable, but stayAPT Suites uses Category 6 cable, or “Cat 6.” Cat 6 is a standardized twisted pair cable for Ethernet and other network physical layers that is backward compatible with the Category 5/5e and Category 3 cable standards.
“There are three ports in each room. One behind each TV and one hard port for government travelers who are often not allowed to use Wi-Fi,” says Mandeep Singh, stayAPT Suites' COO. “By using Cat 6, we’re giving ourselves the ability to introduce new technologies without issue because the technology is already behind the walls. We’re building for the future, so being 100 percent new construction is a huge plus.”
Each suite also contains two 4K smart TVs with Chromecast capabilities so that guests can mirror their personal device for streaming. For guests who don’t want to mirror, the smart TVs contain a Netflix app that has been connected to the brand’s PMS. This allows the guest to sign-in to their Netflix account and upon checking out, the PMS automatically clears out the guest’s user credentials.
In addition to the built-in tech amenities offered in-room, stayAPT Suites offers its guests a mobile app that can be used to make a reservation, store guest preferences, check-in, and access a digital key. There is also an app guests can use to pay the on-site laundry machines, which can notify the guest when their laundry has completed the wash or dry cycle. Plus, stayAPT Suites is a completely paperless business. There is no collateral in the room. Instead, guests use the in-room television to access information about the hotel, its amenities and nearby attractions.
According to the brand, stayAPT Suites is purpose built for all types of travelers, including long-stay business travelers. A prime example is a traveling medical professional who may be assigned to a particular location for three or six months.
“It’s not long enough to rent out and furnish an apartment, sign a lease, or place a deposit,” says Kearney. “We fill that need for being the sweet spot between a hotel and an apartment.”
Those seeking a shorter stay will also benefit from the unique experience stayAPT Suites offers, such as travelers who may be gone for a few days to a couple of weeks at a time.
“Many travelers don’t want to stay in a regular hotel room and be forced to eat out for every meal,” says Kearney, citing the full-size kitchen with full-size appliances that come standard in the brand’s suites. “They want a place where they can really make a healthy meal and feel more normal.”
And stayAPT Suites feels it’s a great fit for young professionals or smaller families who may be relocating. Whether they’re waiting for a home to be built or are searching for a home to purchase (or even renovating the home they currently live in), the lodging brand offers guests a home-like space during that extended period of time – providing an especially timely and attractive option in today’s tight rental housing marketplace.