WICHITA, KS—WoodSpring Hotels, operators of WoodSpring Suites and Value Place hotels, has just launched a new prototype brand targeted to mid-priced, extended-stay travelers who typically stay for weeks at a time and want higher service levels. The WoodSpring Suites Signature brand will make guests feel more at home by providing extra amenities not found in the current WoodSpring hotels. And the new brand is just one part of a robust national expansion that the Wichita, KS-based company has underway. “We expect to break ground on 40 hotels this year,” Jim Strawn, president of construction and development at WoodSpring, said at a press conference yesterday. One-quarter of these will be corporate-owned, and the company expects to break ground on 50 hotels in 2017. WoodSpring has eight Signature prototypes in its pipeline, including three projects underway in both the greater Houston and Seattle markets, and plans to finish one in suburban Pittsburgh by the fourth quarter of this year, and one in Saugus, MA by spring 2017. “The Signature prototype has been designed with the business traveler in mind, who has greater needs when on the road for an extended period of time,” added Bruce Haase, WoodSpring Hotels' chief executive officer. “The rates for this lower midscale hotel will be approximately 20% above a standard WoodSpring Suites, typically $300 to $400 per week, market depending.” Signature hotels will have residential-style exterior designs and larger lobbies, giving each a more welcoming look and comfortable atmosphere. Guests will enjoy access to a convenience store, fitness center, 24-hour laundry facilities, staff training room and optional meeting space. Extra touches that will set Signature guest rooms apart from current WoodSpring Suites and Value Place hotels will include in-room dishwashers, quartz countertops in the kitchen and bathroom, upgraded drapery with sheers, more comfortable bedding, and stand-up showers with glass doors. Signature hotels will also provide weekly housekeeping for longer-staying guests and daily light touch service for shorter stays. “Over the last year, we have significantly stepped up our research to determine what our guests want to be more productive on the road while maintaining a semblance of a 'home-like' feel,” said Mike Varner, executive vice president of brand strategy and management. “Most importantly, we've learned that the stay needs to be simple, not fussy or complicated. And there needs to be real value—paying for the things that matter, not what they don't want. All WoodSpring Suites hotels are designed to meet these needs, and the guest response has been positive. Some guests, however, also have said they'd be willing to spend additional for a product that offers a bit more. The Signature prototype does just that, providing simple, straightforward extras for a more demanding traveler.” The company plans to rebrand the majority of their portfolio of 200 hotels from Value Place to WoodSpring Suites by year's end 2016.