Choice Hotels International unveiled a new positioning, visual identity and elements of its evolved guest experience for its upscale Cambria Suites brand at the company’s annual convention. Guests will immediately see the changes to the visual identity in all new properties, and an evolved guest experience in existing hotels by the end of the year.
Announcing the news, Senior Vice President of Upscale Brands, Michael Murphy said this is an exciting time for Cambria Hotels & Suites. “Our brand is looking to the future and addressing the needs and desires of the Cambria guest of tomorrow. This will involve some changes but, as a young brand, we have an incredible opportunity to purposefully design a hotel experience that will leave a lasting impression and enhance brand loyalty.”
Cambria Suites spent the last year studying business and leisure travelers, with a focus on Millennials entering the workforce, to determine how the brand should innovate and evolve to best meet their needs. The research addressed more than 140 experiential elements of the guest experience, including the arrival experience, the guest room, food and beverage and the Choice Privileges program.
The result is a refined brand positioning that resonates with the target, a refreshed logo and visual identity that reflects that position, and an evolved guest experience designed to distinguish the brand from its competition.
The new visual identity is the most noticeable change to the brand today. “In our research, guests told us loud and clear that they want choices and options at every point in their interaction with a hotel brand. As a result, we are changing the brand’s name to Cambria Hotels & Suites and will provide guests with the option of choosing a stunning standard hotel room that feels like an upgrade or an actual suite,” said Murphy. “We’ve changed our logo and color palette to reflect the new brand tonality – warm, approachable, flexible and uncomplicated. At Cambria, everybody is somebody.”
“The upscale hotel segment has become very crowded,” said Murphy. “Rather than become lost in a sea of similar choices, Cambria Hotels & Suites will make the necessary changes to create a distinct position in the minds of our target customers through visual identity, differentiated customer service, and ultimately, design.”
The new Cambria Hotels & Suites is about creating experiences
The new Cambria Hotels & Suites will provide a high-quality, memorable experience from the moment guests arrive. Guests will be greeted by soft music as they enter the large, open lobby and notice a soft, rounded front desk instead of a traditionally linear front desk. This new design is inviting and captures the openness of the room, while still maintaining the traditional, and expected, presence of a front desk. Guests will immediately feel welcome and at home while they complete the check-in process.
In their rooms, guests will still enjoy a spacious layout with added technology benefits that meet their needs, but they will also benefit from noticeably larger vanity space in the bathrooms and relax on updated furniture.
The new guest room experience is exceptional, but Cambria guests are also encouraged to enjoy all the open, social spaces and experience a high level of guest engagement throughout their stay.
The bar has now become the focal point of the lobby, inviting guests to hang out and actively partake in the Cambria experience. As always, the bar and restaurant will continue to provide great service with comfortable and interesting places to sit, drink and dine.
Cambria guests want to enjoy immediate benefits and again, at Cambria, everybody is somebody. If guests are members of the Choice Privileges program, they will have the option of saving their newly acquired points for a free night, or they can immediately redeem them at the bar for a local craft beer or hand-crafted cocktail. The choice and the experience will be entirely up to them.
The brand seeks to capitalize on recent growth
“The popularity and growth of this brand is undeniable,” said Murphy. “We currently have 20 properties open and another 7 under construction. Our Washington, D.C. property opened on May 8th and a property in White Plains, NY is slated for this summer. For 2014, our goal is to have at least 23 Cambria Hotels & Suites open and another 30 under construction.
With the added momentum, it is important for Choice Hotels and the Cambria brand to continue to capitalize on new opportunities in targeted and strategic markets. To ensure continued success and growth, Cambria has announced the addition of four Directors of Real Estate and Land Acquisition to the Sales team. These new team members will be tasked with determining future locations for Cambria Hotels & Suites and expanding the opportunity to provide quality, memorable experiences to travelers.
