China was the first major new market for Super 8 outside the United States and China. What changes have you made to the way the brand operates?
Our core operating philosophy and principles remain the same — everything else is on the table. For example our logo includes Chinese characters and breakfasts are suited to local tastes. Remember that there are significant regional differences in the USA or Europe. And there are significant regional differences here in China — for example there are differences in diet between the east of China and the west of the country.
We are know for our flexibility with our local partners enabling them to act as entrepreneurs and not stifling their initiative. For example some choose our unified product "the room of the future" and others opt for a standard room. All of the rooms are to the same standards but they may look different — such as with different colored walls, but always "clean and friendly".
Could you say a bit about "the room of the future"?
We think we have a very good product. Each room has a dark wood-laminate floor that is easy to maintain, sound absorbing, and long lasting. The rooms have interestingly colored walls that have been shown to make people feel good. It's built around what travelers want – somewhere that is comfortable for a two or three day stay and not just like home. We confirmed this with extensive focus groups.
Every room has a 25-inch flat screen TV and a custom built unit designed with travelers in mind. The unit has a cushion on top and cubbyholes for storage (there are no dressers in the room). We found that when people travel in groups in China they like to congregate in one room — perhaps before going out to dinner. The unit gives people somewhere to sit so they don't have to sit on the bed.
The bathrooms have curved shower curtains so they don't touch you while you're showering and the rooms are a light blue teal in color. There are custom built counters with extra counter space — two tiers — since we found that people like to set out their things. There's ample counter space for two people traveling together.
The room of the future is designed around the way people travel. In China, two-thirds of our guests are business travelers and only one-third are leisure travelers — the reverse of the ratios in the US.