Hitting The Spot
Red Roof Brings The Red Collection To Orlando Market With Unique New Build
On the drawing board, SPOT X Hotel – Orlando didn’t start out as a member of The Red Collection from Red Roof. But since its opening this past December, the 154-room hotel has emerged as another example of Red Roof’s commitment to what the company calls “upper-midscale” properties through the Collection.
“The hotel owner was in the process of building the hotel for another brand,” said Matt Hostetler, chief development officer for Red Roof. The hotel owner and the brand, however, didn’t see eye to eye, so the hotelier sought out Red Roof.
“He wanted a brand that was more free thinking and more of what he wanted the new hotel to represent,” said Hostetler. “The Red Collection allows him that freedom.”
SPOT X Hotel – Orlando is the first Orlando property in The Red Collection, which Red Roof launched in 2018 with the St. Claire Hotel in Chicago. The name “Spot X,” it should be noted, belongs to the hotel owner and not Red Roof.
In addition to SPOT X Hotel – Orlando, The Red Collection’s portfolio includes the Artel Hotel Times Square in New York City and Le Voyageur in Wildwood, NJ.
“At Red Roof, we are committed to offering our guests the best experience and value at properties located in destination markets, like Orlando, close to the attractions and activities they seek,” said Red Roof President George Limbert. “We understand modern-day travelers are looking for accessible lodging with enhanced amenities and the continued development of properties in The Red Collection also provides ample opportunity for our franchisee community.”
In that regard, Orlando seems like the ideal fit for a Central Florida property in The Red Collection.
“We all know that there is a lot going on in Orlando,” Hostetler said. “But the owner wanted the hotel to be more than just ‘come to the theme parks and stay with us.’ So, he worked closely with our design and construction team to create a lot of orange and citrus tones throughout the building.”
Orange Marketplace—the hotel’s on-site restaurant offering breakfast and dinner—is an example of the “local vibe” as it pays homage to the Sunshine State’s citrus industry through its bright orange colors and decor. That local vibe extends as SPOT X Hotel’s location is less than five miles from Disney World and Universal Studios and only 20 minutes from Orlando International Airport. It’s also in an area surrounded by shops and restaurants that are packed with visitors from around the world.
SPOT X Hotel – Orlando features an onsite bar/lounge, free parking (rare in Orlando), an outdoor pool with sun loungers, 24-hour fitness facility, business center and meeting rooms.
Given that Orlando, and Central Florida in general, each are hot spots for golf, SPOT X Hotel – Orlando is donating a portion of annual revenue to benefit the American Junior Golf Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.
“The hotel owner wanted it to be ‘X Marks The Spot’” said Hostetler. “With our resources, we were able to do just that.”
He went on to add, “Really what we offer in The Red Collection is the freedom for hoteliers to be themselves—to be cool and eclectic. We ask that they meet certain standards and amenities, but we’re not making them use specific items. We are asking them to use items that would be comparable to other items in that space.”
The Red Collection isn’t the only recent addition to the Red Roof corporate family. The company this past summer debuted a HomeTowne Studios prototype that it said was shaped with input from hotel owners, long-time franchisees and guests. The extended stay brand, the company said, offer a “cost-effective development footprint” and a layout that sets new standards for improved operational efficiency.
“HomeTowne Studios is already the leading brand in the economy-extended-stay segment, and the new prototype takes the franchise value proposition to a new level,” Hostetler said. “It is part of a long-term strategy of bringing industry-leading products to our partners and the industry. We’ve already received unprecedented interest from the development community.”
