Super 8 ROOM8 to be piloted in Calgary

CALGARY — Super 8 Shawnessy in South Calgary is one of five pilot locations across North America for ROOM8, Super 8’s innovative approach to shared accommodation, with rooms suitable for team members, families and others who want to share a room but not a bed.

Late last month, Super 8 by Wyndham, an economy brand with almost 2,900 hotels, unveiled the winning design for its first-ever shared room concept, ROOM8. The concept was developed by Candice Buttars, an undergraduate design student at Utah State University, with support from celebrity interior designer and TV personality Alison Victoria. The design reimagines the traditional hotel suite in an effort to accommodate a new generation of road trippers who thrive in communal spaces.

Piloting at select Super 8 locations as early as next year and anchored by unique features like vintage arcade games and individual sleeping spaces for up to four guests, the innovative room concept was sourced through the brand’s recent ROOM8 Design Challenge, which called on aspiring designers, co-living experts and urbanites to submit renderings of an original concept that would provide a functional, yet elevated experience to today’s influx of group travellers.

“Super 8 is known for being travellers’ companion on the road and the introduction of ROOM8 brings that promise to life in a whole new way,” said Mike Mueller, Super 8 brand president.

“More and more, we’re seeing groups of guests who want space to stretch out and relax, but without the sacrifice of giving up their own private sleeping space. The unique design developed by Candice and Alison is the ideal solution. Whether it’s a group of millennials, a young family or an on-the-road construction crew, ROOM8 delivers the perfect balance of privacy and community.”

During the design process, Victoria served as Buttars’ mentor and the pair worked together, one-on-one, to evolve what would become the final design.

“From the second I learned about the design challenge, I knew that I had to submit a concept,” said Buttars. “As a college student and aspiring designer, you dream of getting to work with a household name like Super 8 by Wyndham, let alone someone as accomplished as Alison Victoria. To take what I know, not only as a designer, but also as the target customer for this project, and be able to meld it into my vision, creating something entirely new, has been incredibly rewarding.”

Among the amenities that make ROOM8 unique:

— A group-focused blend of digital and analog entertainment including vintage arcade games; a streaming-ready, 65-inch wall-mounted TV; cornhole boards, a foosball table and more

— Abundant seating and an open dining layout, complete with an apartment-sized refrigerator and microwave

— Individual sleeping spaces and beds for up to four guests

— USB ports, AC outlets and wireless charging stations, room-wide

The creation of ROOM8 comes on the heels of the largest redesign in Super 8 brand history, a multi-year effort during which the brand’s hotels across the U.S. and Canada invested more than $140 million into room renovations, elevating the Super 8 guest experience.