Some of the best budget brands are still just under the radar. They are chic and hip for the new generation of travelers who want to spend less but require the feel of 5 star luxary, and most likely you never even heard of them.
It used to be that spending less than $100 a night on a hotel meant that you could look forward to hard beds, floresent lighting, and stale muffins to greet you in the morning for breakfast. Fortunately, things are changing as five-star hotels have ramped up their offerings, so have budget properties. Where once you were lucky to find a coffee maker in your room, you can now often find free WiFi, breakfast buffets, heated pools, on-site wine bars, gourmet styled restaruants (with a low budget price tag) and much more. Even cool design and a great atmosphere are more affordable than ever.
Chances are, you already know about big-name, low-cost chains like Days Inn or Econo Lodge, but what about Ace, Nylo, Etap Hotel, or Hyatt Place? Called "select service" by industry insiders, the hotel category is taking a democratized dose of style from upscale predecessors like W and Kimpton. Compared with others in the affordable market, these newer chains have a modern aesthetic. Most have disproportionately large lobbies with smaller adjoining rooms, to accommodate travelers' desire for public areas with room to both work and socialize. It turns out that some of the best budget hotel brands are still just under the radar. But these hidden gems is something that all hotel bargain-seekers should know about.
NYLO Hotels - NYLO Hotels redefines innovation in hotel lodging. Boutique loft-style accommodations, ultramodern facilities with an urban point of view, and affordability with quick access to major urban cities are just a few NYLO Hotels distinctions. NYLO brand's stylish budget hotels all have a New York-loft look with 10-foot ceilings, exposed brick and ductwork and an overlay of decorative elements that reflect the locale. At the chain's first outpost, in Plano, Texas, pod chairs and glass "antler" chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and a "game room/library" is outfitted with pink cowhide rugs, Ultrasuede banquettes and a stainless-steel bar. Nylo runs on 50 percent wind power and has installed lights that shut off automatically when a guest leaves the room, this measure, along with other conservation efforts, produces energy savings of roughly 25 to 30 percent for each room, enabling the hotel to provide free Wi-Fi, local calls and parking. Nylo's has created an entire floor of anti-allergen rooms at its Plano hotel that are kept contaminant-free with air purifiers, hypoallergenic linens and a patented "Pure shield," applied to surfaces in rooms to keep dust off.
NYLO has introduced two revolutionary and unique lifestyle hotel brands: NYLO and XP by NYLO. The two brands differ in price point (both development cost and ADRs), hotel facility programs, and amenities and service, but both offer guests unique, residential loft-style living with innovative design, smart style and unexpectedly affordable luxury. The broad target category for NYLO and XP by NYLO is the transient business traveler. NYLO has been designed with this guest in mind and has all of the necessary amenities to serve the business traveler. To give you an idea of the unique nature of the NYLO brand, the Plano location has a common area gathering place called The Loft, that invites guests to work, meet, drink, dine, shop, or check email.
Hyatt Place Hotels - Hyatt has been converting the old Amerisuites brand hotels it purchased into swankier new Hyatt Place hotels. Designed for the busy lifestyle of today’s business traveler, Hyatt Place features a selected range of services aimed at providing casual hospitality in a well-designed, high-tech and contemporary environment. Hyatt Places hotels range from 125 to 200 rooms and are located in both urban and suburban areas. Signature features of Hyatt Place include The gallery, which offers a coffee and wine bar, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, guest kitchen with freshly prepared snacks and appetizers and a daily complimentary continental breakfast. Hyatt Place guests are families as well as business travelers. Hyatt Place properties are also well suited to serve small corporate meetings. Spacious guestrooms feature a 42" flat-panel HDTV that can be viewed from the Cozy Corner oversized sofa-sleeper or the plush Hyatt Grand Bed. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. Touchscreen menus in the lobby where you can order made-to-order entrées, sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza 24 hours a day and use your roomkey for a cashless purchase.
Hotel Indigo - The Hotel Indigo is a hip, cool, lifestyle budget hotel brand. Great brands have a story to tell. Ours is all about math. The math behind Hotel Indigo is based on a universal design constant found in nature, art and architecture known as the Golden Mean, the Fibonacci Sequence or Phi. The nautilus shell, the brand icon of Hotel Indigo, reflects the perfect proportion of the Golden Mean. Look for it in the simple elegance of other graphic elements as well as those inspired by nature: pineapples, leaves of a plant, the pinecone. Or in the gracefully balanced haiku that anchors our communications and advertising, and is the math behind our voice: 3 lines composed of 5 syllables, followed by 7, ending with 5. Haiku is a memorable, ownable way of communicating in a quick, punchy - perhaps even quirky - way that instantly communicates the unique personality of Hotel Indigo. Instead of another dull, beige budget business hotel, why not check in to a hotel that’s really for you, the busy traveler? An oasis where you can escape the hectic pace of travel and think more clearly, work more productively, rest more refreshingly. An environment that doesn’t just shelter you, but inspires and reenergizes you. That’s the idea behind Hotel Indigo. Each room at Hotel Indigo is designed around the soothing, simple yet intricate patterns found in nature. Color, space and design converge to bring order and balance to an otherwise hurried world. Stay connected to the world in real-time. In-room high-speed Internet access comes standard in every room at Hotel Indigo.
Aloft Hotels - Aloft hotels are hip budget hotels in great destinations. They offer free wi-fi and 24/7 business services offering urban-inspired, modern hotel rooms, enhanced technology services and an energetic lounge scene. At Aloft, guests choose their rooms upon arrival using electronic kiosks. Aloft hotels offers a fresh alternative to conventional hotels. For the traveler open to possibilities, aloft hotels are a modern, fresh and fun destination. With our loft-inspired design and free-flowing energy, you can celebrate your style in the unique openness of a no-walls and no-limits space. See why everyone's all abuzz about aloft, and discover a whole new travel experience. Individual aloft rooms offer spacious 9-foot-high ceilings, a plush platform bed, 42" LCD TVs, custom bath amenities by Bliss® spa, oversize showers, our signature coffee and more. Stay & play in re:mix… a playful place or quiet space, re:mix has everything you need. Sip a drink, read the paper, enjoy free Wi-Fi or pick up a game of pool, with day-to-night lighting and music to switch up the vibe. Slide over to w xyzsm bar for a signature aloft cocktail or pop into re:fuel by aloftsm for a self-serve snack. aloft hotels is part of the Starwood family and with hotels arriving all around the world, travelers can stay from Montreal to Massachusetts, California to Texas, Arkansas to Beijing.
Ace Hotels - Ace Hotel reimagines the American budget hotel in New York, Palm Springs, Seattle and Portland. Not simply boutique affairs, Aces are far from staid, offering up whimsy along with clean lines and mixed-bag, contemporary cool, according to Scene Advisor.com. The cool, comfortable, laid-back, casual design hotels offer accommodations for every budget, from cheap rooms to luxury suites, with vintage and modern design and interiors. Our hotels are family-friendly as well as dog and pet friendly. Ace epitomizes what might be called a New Bohemian attitude and style: hotels that are not stripped-down and minimalist but rather idiosyncratic, cool, and casual. Unless you want a suite or a room with a private patio, what you pay is $89, now that is a budget hotel!
Etap Hotels - Etap Hotel offers you imaginative, comfortable and affordable accommodations. Mainly implanted in Europe, the network consists of low cost hotels with rooms can accommodate one, two or three persons for smart travelers. Outside Europe, Etap Hotel adopts the signboard Formule1 with 55 hotels. The room can accomodate one, two or three people with a double bed and bunk, a bathroom and television. Etap Hotel proposes a wide range of TV channels: national and international, rolling news, sport and movie channels. An all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast is proposed. An automatic vending machine area with sweet or salty snacks and warm and cold beverages is available at the hotel reception. Etap hotels consist of 492 hotels, 43,007 rooms in 17 countries. Although Etap is much more prevelent in Eurpoe, North America has a number of these budget hotels.
Room Mate Hotels - Not consistent across the chain, however, are the personalities of the hotels: each Room Mate hotel is designed differently, with a funky, modern feel that reflects its location. The names of the hotels — like Mario, Leo, Laura and Oscar — are supposed to emphasize each hotel's distinctly different personality. "we look for anyone who wants to take care of their money. We're a fun, friendly affordable and sexy chain." As far as that "fun" part goes, the evidence is right here in NYC: Room Mate Grace still has that pool in the lobby, and the nightlife scene is pretty bumpin'. Guests and non-guests can have drinks dry at the lobby bar or wet from the swim-up bar on any night, no matter what the weather. Room Mate Hotels is continuing its ferociously rapid expansion, this time with Emma, its first property in Barcelona. "Room Mate is excited to bring our beautifully designed, centrally located, affordable hotels to more travelers worldwide." Spanish hotel chain Room Mate gives the impression that staying in one of their rooms is like sleeping over at your stylish friend's apartment in a trendy corner of Madrid. All their hotels have first names: Mario, Lola, Oscar. They even go so far as to define the personalities of each hotel: "Laura" works at a publicity agency and has a passion for extreme sports.
Novotel - Fresh, bright and contemporary, Novotel properties look like they could have come straight out of an Ikea catalogue. The brand has over 200 hotels in 54 countries including France, where the chain started, the U.S., and China. The atmosphere is pleasant and comfortable, but what makes a room here a steal for $79 per night in many locations are all of the amenities—pool, spa, kid's club, fitness center, even tennis and golf courts in some locations. Novotel has always been a precursor in the hotel industry. Since its creation 40 years ago, the chain has evolved, anticipated its clients' expectations, and introduced innovations regarding well-being, comfort and sustainable development.