New hotel targets millennials
Published 10:24 pm Thursday, December 10, 2015
Suffolk’s newest hotel, the Hampton Inn, targets the millennial traveler.
Business has been steady since the 94-room, 56,000-square-foot hotel at 1017 Centerbrooke Lane opened on Nov. 12, said general manager Sabrina Freeman.
She wants residents to drop by during next week’s grand-opening ceremony and open house to see all that Suffolk’s Hampton Inn has to offer.
City officials will be on hand for the ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. Dec. 14; the hotel will offer tours and refreshments from 11 a.m. through 6 p.m. There will also be prizes and giveaways throughout the day.
“We’re here and we want to be your home away from home,” said Freeman. “Come see us and we will show you why your guests will want to stay here.”
The Suffolk hotel is the company’s first east of Richmond built since the Hampton Hotels rolled out its Forever Young Initiative, a design campaign that focuses on post-Baby Boomer generations, in 2014.
“We want to be different with a little twist,” said Freeman. “We cater to younger generations.”
For example, each room has plenty of outlets to accommodate the digital devices — mobile phones, tablets and laptops — that most travelers carry these days, Freeman said.
Other changes from traditional Hampton Inns include replacing traditional clothing drawers with pull-out wire baskets in cabinets; an airy, all-white bathroom; and equipping every room with a mini-fridge, oversized chair and stuffed ottomans.
The hotel also has 912 square feet of meeting space for conferences, reunions and other events, Freeman said. It also offers a free hot breakfast, a fitness center, heated pool and free Wi-Fi service.
“We are excited to be in Suffolk,” Freeman said. “We are all about the customers.
“Our staff will go the extra mile for our guests, with simple gestures that make their days a little better.”
When she initially came to Suffolk in July, Freeman’s focus was on overseeing the process of getting the hotel opened.
More recently, she has been marketing the hotel to residents and local businesses and posting information on travel websites, such as Orbitz and Expedia.