HotelChatter

Tags: Motel 6 / Accor Hotels / Hotel News / Hotel Renovations / → All Tags

Is This the End of Ugly Bedspreads? Motel 6 To Get Euro-Sleek Look

Where: United States

People don't normally mention Motel 6 and "sleek design" in the same sentence. After all, the chain is known as the prototypical bare-bones roadside motel, with every material and piece of furniture in one seemingly the cheapest available in order to keep the nightly room rate below the competition's.

French parent company Accor is trying to change all that though, with "a modern, European boutique-style flair" according to the official press release.

Spin or no spin, the new room design, dubbed the Phoenix design, does sound like a major improvement:

The room includes ambient lighting, wood-effect flooring rather than carpet, and a 32-inch flat-screen TV. The flat screen TV is displayed on the entertainment unit which conceals the door-less wardrobe behind it, thus combining two needs into one unit.

Also included on the entertainment unit is a cubby for personal items and a multi-media panel allowing guests to plug in their mp3 players, CD players and laptop computers - this feature allows guests to listen to their favorite tunes or use the flat-screen TV as their computer monitor while enjoying Wi-Fi internet access in their room. The room also features pedestal beds with a new taupe-colored coverlet and pillow-top platform mattress.

And of course that WiFi will be free, despite a room rate that is 1/10 or less of the hotels charging you for access.

Construction will begin on the first prototype "in the latter half of 2008." The new prototype will then be available to franchisees starting summer 2009.

After the jump, see what a Motel 6 bedspread currently looks like.

[Photo: TravelWeekly]