MADRID—Several years ago, a small group of friends had a casual conversation and agreed the best way to really see a city is to visit a friend who lives there. That discussion about travel evolved into Room Mate Hotels, a brand with 15 properties in its portfolio and plans to grow.
|
Enrique Sarasola |
Room Mate president Enrique Sarasola said the brand maintains its original philosophy by naming each hotel after a unique individual that will treat the guest as a roommate, offering a “home away from home” for the length of the guest’s stay.
Properties in the company’s home base of Madrid, for example, bear the names Mario, Laura, Alicia and Oscar.
Sarasola is committed to providing leisure and business travelers with a boutique hotel experience at a reasonable price. He said each Room Mate property is located in the center of hot markets throughout the globe, with equally attractive amenities, such as completely customizable mini bars.
Latest addition
Room Mate Waldorf in Miami Beach, Florida, is the latest addition to the family and the brand’s second property in the U.S. It opened its doors in mid-September after a complete renovation to its 44 guestrooms, lobby and public spaces.
The property was previously the WaldorfTOWERS, which Spanish decorator Ignacio Garcia Vinuesa helped transform into a Room Mate Hotel, according to a press release.
“It’s only been open for a few weeks, but reservations have already surpassed our expectations, and the property has received quite a lot of interest from potential guests and media,” Sarasola said.
Hotel Assets Ad Will Appear Here
Room Mate Waldorf (no affiliation to Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts) also is helping the brand fulfill its part in conserving the environment, Sarasola said. “Room Mate Waldorf became the first LEED-certified hotel in Miami Beach, verifying that its design helps the property save energy and water, reduce CO2 emissions, and offer improved indoor environmental quality to our guests.”
|
| A room in the recently renovated Room Mate Waldorf in Miami Beach, Florida. |
Expansion
Room Mate is not resting after the opening of Waldorf. The company is actively seeking new opportunities for additional properties in metropolitan centers around the globe.
The company has its eyes on a property in Amsterdam, for starters. Sarasola said the company is working on closing a deal on a hotel in the center of the city. He declined to reveal exact details on the transaction but said the brand is “very on top of it.”
Officials at the privately held company would not disclose information on how Room Mate is funding its expansion efforts.
“Our sights are set high, and we’re planning to open our second property in Barcelona in April 2012, as well as new hotels in cities like Paris and London in the near future,” Sarasola said.
Growing competition
Room Mate could face strong competition in the rapidly growing market during the next few years.
HVS London reported in September the boutique hotel segment is the fastest growing in the city. The “London Boutique Hotel Monitor” by HVS London indicates an additional 2,544 rooms will be added to the London boutique segment by 2013, doubling its size.
Sarasola said the company does not plan to do anything differently to stand out from the competition in London.
“They asked me the same thing about New York. We will keep up with our philosophy of maintaining good, quality hotel service at an affordable price. We will keep on with fantastic, modern decorations and worry about how we treat our clients. It’s worked in New York.”
Room Mate Grace opened in New York in 2008 and Sarasola said the hotel has performed well with an occupancy rate of 92%. He expects that by maintaining its standards, Room Mate will see similar results in new cities.