purplenightskylovertv

Given that Residence Inn hotels with exterior-corridors are leaving the chain as they no longer meet brand standards and guest expectations, why is the Penthouse Suite in a Residence Inn hotel obsolete? My father and half-brothers remember those style of rooms very well. I understand they are not ideal for handicapped guests. Even Floridian Elevators on Youtube pointed out in a comment that when Residence Inns went to the more realistic interior-corridor design that is now required, the brand became too generic and lost its charm (not saying that style of Residence Inn is bad or anything).

SacTownGuy

Maybe I am a dummy but what exactly does a penthouse suite at a RI look like? Never had such a thing.

Horace

I would not use the term obsolete. I would just say it's an older concept.

Marriott switched its standards for new Residence Inns to buildings with elevators and interior hallways many years ago. Expectations for security and accessibility have changed. But there are still plenty of the old ones left. There's a place in Marriott for older Residence Inns that are well-located and well-maintained.

This subject has come up before on FlyerTalk: Is Marriott Turning Residence Inns over to Sonesta?

Here are a few paragraphs I wrote in the earlier thread (with some modifications):

Residence Inn was acquired by Marriott in 1987. Initially, the brand standards continued to call for clusters of residential buildings with outside doors, including 2-story penthouses that were reached by outside stairways.

Around the mid-1990s, Marriott changed the standards for new construction to inside hallways and the elimination of 2-story penthouses. There were probably a number of reasons why Marriott chose to make the change, including accessibility, maintainability, security, liability, and evolving guest expectations.

For 25 years or so, the Residence Inn brand has grown to have primarily the "new" configuration.

It seems Marriott is happy to collect franchise and marketing fees from owners of older Residence Inn properties that maintain their properties properly.

A Residence Inn penthouse suite is an apartment-like suite, The entrance is on the second floor at the top of an exterior stairway. Inside, the first floor has a living room with a fireplace, a kitchen with a table, and a bathroom. The first floor also has either a bedroom or a sitting room / office with a murphy bed. An interior stairway goes up to a loft bedroom with a second bathroom. It's terrific layout for families on vacation or who need long-term accommodations. But it's terrible for those for whom stairs are a problem.

Look for photos of penthouse suites at the following properties. (I've stayed at all three of them.)

Residence Inn Boulder: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...e-inn-boulder/

Residence Inn La Jolla: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hote...iego-la-jolla/

Residence Inn Albuquerque: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hote...n-albuquerque/

purplenightskylovertv

My dad stayed at the RI in Boulder long ago.

purplenightskylovertv

A two-story hotel room. My dad remembers them, and so does my half-bros from when they were children.

EdofFX

I stayed in one near Toledo Airport, which has since left the Marriott umbrella. As I recall, the second floor suites and the first floor suites underneath it are rented separately to different guests. It was not a bi-level hotel room with two floors.

purplenightskylovertv

That's odd.

Horace

At earlier Residence Inn properties, the first floor had single-level Studio Suites. Above them, the second floor had bi-level Penthouse Suites, each with a loft bedroom overlooking the living room.

Yes, the first floor and the second floor were rented separately. But the loft bedroom of each second-floor Penthouse Suite was part of that suite.

purplenightskylovertv

You're right about that.

Horace

Click this link for a drawing of a Penthouse Suite at the Residence Inn Pasadena Arcadia: https://modules.marriott.com/resourc...oorplans02.jpg

hhoope01

Back in the 90s, my kids loved sleeping on the murphy bed in a penthouse suite (it was a novelty to them). But I will admit it has been decades since I last stayed in one.

yyzflyer

Some enclosed the lower bedroom where the Murphy bed was usually located, creating the first actual 2-bedroom RI units. Each sleeping area had its own bathroom. There were several other variations as well. The best thing about them in colder climates was almost all rooms in these small "chalets" had fireplaces - something that is becoming a rarity at RI's now.

EdofFX

Yes, your description is more accurate. There was a bed in a small area on a higher level that was reachable through some interior stairs. I did not consider that a second floor because it was so small. I don't even remember whether it had space for anything else other than one bed. It did overlook the living room. There was no door between the two level, nor between the bedroom and living room, and therefore no privacy.

Horace

The upstairs loft has a king bed (sometimes two single or double beds), a closet, and a full bathroom. Yes, the loft overlooks the living room, and the interior stairs do not have a door.

The downstairs bedroom sometimes has a real bed and french doors for more privacy. Sometimes, it's furnished with a desk and a murphy bed, so it's more of an office that converts to bedroom when necessary.

When we used to vacation with our kids, the Penthouse Suites were wonderful — much better than traditional hotel rooms.

The percentage of Residence Inns with the old format has been decreasing since the format changed in the mid-1990s and the brand has continued to expand its footprint. Also, as owner of these older properties choose to rebrand, the number of them decreases. But I disagree with the OP's assertion that "they no longer meet brand standards and guest expectations." They continue to be part of the brands. Marriott is not kicking them out. And the Marriott website clearly shows which properties have the old Penthouse Suites. The standards changed for new new-builds, but the older properties still meet Marriott's brand standards if they properly maintained.

catocony

I don't stay at the RIs with exterior doors, but I did like the penthouse ones. They remind me of my college apartment - 5 bedrooms, with 4 on the main floor and a small open loft upstairs with a bedroom (with door), small living area in what was basically a hallway to the upstairs bathroom.