Home2 Suites hotel opens in Westdale

CEDAR RAPIDS — Travelers planning extended stays in Cedar Rapids have a new lodging option.

Home2 Suites by Hilton, with 84 mostly one-bedroom suites, opened Aug. 31, at 4000 Westdale Pkwy. SW, on the property once occupied by Westdale Mall.

The hotel will hold a public open house and ribbon-cutting from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5.

Though the hotel welcomes travelers looking to stay only a night or two, its niche is people needing extended lodging who want the comfort of what amounts to a small, comfy apartment, according the Jennifer Miller, the hotel’s general manager.

Miller said business has been good during the month the hotel has been open, with long-term guests already registered and checked in. At least one person, she said, has booked a suite for several months.

The hotel is primarily co-owned by Frew Development of Des Moines and Cedar Rapids and Kinseth Hospitalities of Coralville.

Company-wide, Home2 Suites has 600 buildings in operation and more than 700 being developed. Miller could not provide an investment figure for the new Cedar Rapids hotel.

The hotel accepts pets and offers a complimentary hot breakfast, laundry and fitness areas, free Wi-Fi, and 24-hour business centers, according to a news release.

Miller said the suites are equipped with appliances needed to cook meals, along with dishes and silverware. The hotel also has an indoor heated pool, with patios featuring firepits and grilling equipment.

Home2 Suites rates vary, but longer stays usually come with a lower per-day price, Miller said. Single-day rates are $159. A stay of 30 or more consecutive days could cost $99 per day, provided the rate is negotiated in advance, which Miller said companies frequently do.

Three other extended-stay hotels operate in the Cedar Rapids area, and another Home2 Suites Hotel is in Coralville.