Latest Stories
Email this article 
• Print this article 
New hotel offers many of the comforts of home
By Michael Bradwell, mbradwell@observer-reporter.com
Southpointe’s latest addition may be a hotel, but its operators prefer to think of the new Homewood Suites as a “home away from home” for business travelers.
“Extended stay guests have always been a part of the hotel business but, until about 15 years ago, extended stay guests were staying in a standard hotel room.” said Homewood Suites general manager Douglas Brewster. “Every day, the room became smaller and smaller and smaller.”
Flash ahead to the present and the Hilton product at 3000 Horizon Vue Drive is the latest example of how a world-weary business traveler looking at booking a week or more in a hotel can enjoy many of the comforts of home in a much more expansive atmosphere. The hotel officially opened Sept. 3. Its first guest booked a suite for 87 nights, Brewster said.
The 113-unit Homewood features 111 one-bedroom suites and two two-bedroom suites, which contain up to 1,000 square feet of space. All the units feature a fully-equipped kitchen with a dining area, separate living rooms and flat-screen televisions in bedrooms and living rooms.
Guests enjoy a complimentary breakfast and, Monday through Thursday, the hotel’s lodge area – a large, airy dining room with a fireplace and a view of the patio and landscaped lawn - features a complimentary meal and beverages.
There’s a state-of-the-art fitness area, indoor swimming pool and whirlpool spa, 24-hour executive business center and even an outdoor basketball court. Also available are two fully equipped conference rooms for meetings.
“We’re not here just to be a hotel. We’re here to be your home for as long as you’re going to be here,” Brewster said.
According to Brewster, Hilton defines an extended-stay guest as one who books an accommodation for five days or more. While Brewster and sales director Lisa Bak acknowledged the hotel does book guests for an overnight stay, a recent week showed that 74 percent of the guests staying at their hotel fit the extended stay definition.
The Southpointe Homewood Suites is the 277th to be built in the chain. It is the first to open in the Pittsburgh region.
The local hotel was built by Southpointe-based Horizon Properties, and is its third in the region, all of which are Hilton products.
Brewster said placing the Homewood Suites in Southpointe made strategic sense as the mixed-use business and residential park continues to expand.
“It was an obvious bullseye for Hilton,” he said.
Bak added that, with major corporations like Consol Energy and Mylan Inc. headquartered in Southpointe, as well as demand from the area’s oil and gas companies working in the Marcellus Shale region, Homewood has had no difficulty in attracting customers.
“It’s a perfect spot for an extended-stay product,” she said. “It works well for all of them.”
Bak and Brewster both noted that the hotel works in partnership with Southpointe Golf Club. Guests who may want to give a training seminar, hold larger meetings, dine or play a round of golf can use the club’s facilities. Homewood provides shuttle service to and from the golf club.
“It’s like a full-service hotel – only it’s under two roofs,” Bak said.
Michael Bradwell is business editor for the Observer-Reporter.
Home
0 comments
All comments will be reviewed by administrators and posted to their respective articles within 24 hours. Comments deemed inappropriate will not be posted.