Dive Brief:
- Economy extended stay hotel brand LivAway Suites continued its U.S. expansion in November, opening three hotels, including the newest in Missoula, Montana, the company announced Tuesday.
- LivAway Suites expanded to Missoula for its strong population fundamentals and tourism, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Dailey noted in a release. The brand also opened hotels in Richland, Washington, and Smyrna, Tennessee, in November.
- The openings come as LivAways Suites targets markets with population and jobs growth, Paul Duncan, a development leader for the brand, told Hotel Dive last spring. LivAway Suites expects to reach 50 locations open or under construction by late 2026.
Dive Insight:
With the three November openings, LivAway Suites has four hotels operating across the country. The openings come as the extended stay brand aims to “integrate seamlessly into communities that are thriving economically while serving broader workforce and tourism needs,” Dailey said.
Missoula has a vibrant tourism industry and economy fueled by the Saint Patrick Hospital and the University of Montana, according to LivAway Suites. The city has also experienced a recent population spike, Dailey noted.
“Missoula has seen a significant influx of remote workers who are relocating for a better quality of life, adding to the area's population of over 125,000 residents. Digital nomads are some of our target guests as their lifestyle aligns with our mission to provide travelers with an elevated extended-stay experience,” said Dailey.
Hospitality professionals at this year’s Lodging Conference said markets with hospital networks and universities typically produce strong extended stay demand, as do those with ongoing infrastructure projects.
LivAway Suites is also targeting markets that are benefiting from increased infrastructure spending following the Biden administration’s passing of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill in 2021, Duncan, chief development officer for LivAway Suites’ development engine West77 Partners, told Hotel Dive in April.
LivAway Suites’ new 126-key Nashville hotel caters to construction professionals, the company said. And in Washington, where it opened a hotel last month, the brand plans to develop 10 to 15 more properties over the coming years, as the extended stay product is “desperately needed throughout the state,” said Dan Barrett, president of West77 Partners, in a statement.
Earlier this year, LivAway Suites broke ground on hotels in Scarborough, Maine, and Draper, Utah. Duncan previously told Hotel Dive the brand is also targeting Orlando and Tampa, Florida, for future developments.
