MCLEAN, VA.—Home2 Suites by Hilton recently celebrated the official grand opening of the brand’s third U.S. hotel in Baltimore with a ribbon-cutting dedication and an announcement of a charitable community partnership. The hotel is both the first adaptive reuse project for Home2 Suites and the first urban space, joining two other properties already open in Fayetteville, N.C. and Layton, Utah.
To commemorate the event, the Baltimore hotel hosted an afternoon of on-site activities for Home2 Suites executives, developer Baywood Hotels’ executive committee and members of the local business community. In addition to a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Home2 Suites staff planned a “Tour of Baltimore” reception, complete with a variety of giveaways, locally catered food and eight guest suites open for tours. Five suites were converted to Baltimore-themed rooms for the celebration with costumed characters to greet guests, including a “Maryland Crabby Crab,” a Baltimore Ravens fan and Edgar Allen Poe. The hotel and suites remained open for public tours throughout the day.
Baywood Hotels announced that the Baywood Hotels’ Education and Reach Initiative (BEAR) has been selected as the Home2 Suites Your2 Hands local nonprofit partner. Founded in 2011, BEAR strives to enrich the lives of individuals and families through education and support of initiatives that positively impact communities. The Baltimore Home2 Suites will support BEAR on an ongoing basis through a variety of volunteer, sponsorship and fundraising initiatives, as part of the brand’s Your2 Hands community relations program. The Your2 Hands initiative connects Home2 Suites hotels with hometown charities to help support local communities and put into action the brand’s commitment to giving back. To illustrate this commitment, Home2 Suites executives unveiled custom-made Your2 Hands artwork for permanent display in the hotel lobby and presented BEAR representatives with a partner pledge to signify the brand’s dedication to the initiative.
First Community Initiative Planned
For their first community initiative, Home2 Suites and BEAR will partner with Adopt-A-Classroom, a national nonprofit that increases opportunity for student success by empowering teachers with community partners and funds to purchase resources for the classroom. As part of the grand opening celebration, Baywood executives announced BEAR will donate $1,000 to S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Germantown, Md., through the Adopt-A-Classroom program.
“Today we not only celebrate the hard work and detailed planning that went into the opening of this hotel, but we also celebrate an organization that is committed to doing great work in the communities where we work and live,” said Amit Patel, president of Baywood Hotels. “We’re excited for this partnership, and Home2 Suites Baltimore will be instrumental in raising awareness among the hotel team members about how they can support education and local school initiatives in Central Maryland.”
“The Home2 Suites Your2 Hands program embodies our corporate commitment to support the people who do what they can with their two hands to make a difference where they call home,” said Bill Duncan, global head, Home2 Suites by Hilton. “This partnership with BEAR will give our Baltimore team the opportunity to both put down roots with a growing local nonprofit and to use that relationship as a platform to reach many different community organizations.”
Property Given Complete Makeover
The Baltimore Home2 Suites is located at 8 East Pleasant Street in downtown Baltimore. Originally opened in 1952, the building is a 95-suite, 13-story high-rise. The space was previously used as another all-suite hotel, and prior to that, an apartment building. The property was given a complete interior makeover as part of the Home2 Suites transformation process, though certain structural elements were maintained, such as the main stairwell and elevator shaft. The hotel began construction in January 2010 and welcomed its first guests in June 2011 as part of a soft opening.
The Baltimore property features eight different room layouts, with 25 king studio suites and 70 queen studio suites. It has 24-hour valet service and the public area amenities are divided between the main lobby level and the lower level. Unique to the Baltimore property is the hotel’s media room, which is equipped with an Xbox Kinect, Wii and a 60-inch flat-screen TV. The hotel also features easy access to technology and bright, inviting community spaces, as well as the trademark Home2 Suites amenities standard in all Home2 Suites hotels, such as the Oasis lobby area, the in-room working wall and the “Inspired Table” complimentary breakfast.
Though the Home2 Suites by Hilton brand was announced less than three years ago, it already has three hotels open (Fayetteville, N.C., Layton, Utah and Baltimore, Md.). There are 63 additional hotels planned and 40 in the development stage.
The Home2 Suites brand is committed to environmentally conscious practices and has been incorporating a number of sustainable living fixtures and services into all new hotels. In addition to recycling throughout the hotel, guest suites feature low-flow showers and faucets, biodegradable food trays, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dual-flush toilets, recycled flooring, Energy Star appliances, and carpet and surfaces made from recycled product and other sustainable product selections.
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