Originally Posted by
uncertaintraveler
I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
What Hilton needs to do is combine the Hampton bed with the HGI breakfast and they'd have a knock-out product.
Even better, combine the Hampton bed, the HGI breakfast, and the Homewood Suites kitchenette--that would likely be a great deal for HH Gold/Diamond members.
I've kind of wondered if there won't be a future evolution by Marriott and Hilton into the realm even more rural than Fairfield and Hampton.
I know that sounds nuts, but there's a market there. New Hamptons and Fairfields these days have gotten pretty good: they've upgraded the product and command $100-125/nt in most places. As such, they tend to be right along major interstates and usually within an hour or so of a large or medium-sized city. They can't get *too* rural.
Thus it wouldn't surprise me if one of them devised a concept in the $60-80/nt. range that they could deploy to less-trafficked interstates, state highways, and small towns that today might be lucky to have a Best Western type of place. It seems like there's a huge fragmented market full of lousy motels: ripe for one of the Big 3 (I'll add IHG to this...although I'm not sure how you brand HIX to something even lighter while still keeping the HI name) to come in and dominate with a clean, fresh brand.
Since the lower end is where the profits seem to be, I'm just surprised it hasn't been done.
This is what goes through my head when we're roadtripping late at night to Minneapolis, getting to an MSP airport hotel at 1AM. Last Marriott/Starwood/Hilton on I-35 is in Ames, 3.5 hours south. Between there and MSP, it's nothing but truckstops and strong coffee.