WoodSpring Suites

WoodSpring Suites is an economy extended-stay hotel brand operating in the United States. The chain was established in 2003 as Value Place by hotel entrepreneur Jack DeBoer, whose earlier work included the creation of Residence Inn and Candlewood Suites. The concept was designed as a hotel-apartment hybrid for guests seeking stays of a week or longer, rather than as a conventional short-stay hotel. Its operating model emphasized practical in-room accommodations, limited common-area amenities, and a relatively streamlined service structure intended to support longer occupancy and efficient property operations. The first Value Place hotel opened in Wichita, Kansas, in 2004. Early expansion included properties in Lubbock, Texas, and Oklahoma City, and the chain had nearly 150 operating locations by 2009. The brand’s rooms were organized around longer-term living needs, typically combining sleeping, living, and eating areas with kitchen equipment such as a refrigerator, microwave, cooktop, and, in some properties, a dishwasher. Compared with many full-service or traditional limited-service hotels, the format placed less emphasis on daily housekeeping and large communal facilities. In 2013, the company introduced a redesigned prototype known as Value Place 2.0. The prototype sought to lower operating costs and make rooms faster and easier to clean. Design and equipment changes included updated air-conditioning systems, LED lighting, and motion-controlled lighting. This redesign represented an effort to standardize the guest experience while reinforcing the brand’s cost-conscious extended-stay proposition. The company changed its name from Value Place to WoodSpring Suites in April 2015. The rebranding was intended to address concerns that the former name did not communicate the desired customer proposition. At the time of the change, the system included 84 company-owned hotels and 112 franchised properties. The company also introduced WoodSpring Suites Signature in 2015 as a mid-priced variation with additional amenities, including fitness centers, laundry facilities, and meeting spaces. In December 2017, private-equity firm Lindsay Goldberg sold the WoodSpring Suites brand and franchise business to Choice Hotels International for approximately $231 million. The system had about 240 locations at the time of the transaction. Under Choice Hotels, WoodSpring Suites became part of a broader lodging portfolio while retaining its focus on economy extended-stay accommodation. As of December 2024, WoodSpring Suites had 256 hotels and 30,846 rooms across the United States. Its core positioning remains centered on practical, longer-term lodging: guest rooms with kitchen functionality, straightforward design, and a limited-service operating model. The brand primarily serves customers needing accommodation for extended periods, including travelers whose needs are better met by an apartment-like hotel room than by a conventional overnight room.

WoodSpring Suites traces its origins to 2003, when hotel entrepreneur Jack DeBoer established the business under the name Value Place. DeBoer had previously helped develop the extended-stay lodging category through Residence Inn and Candlewood Suites. Value Place was conceived as a hybrid between a hotel and an apartment, targeting guests who needed accommodation for a week or longer. The concept relied on practical rooms, kitchen facilities, and a restrained service model rather than the extensive amenities associated with full-service hotels. The first Value Place property opened in Wichita, Kansas, in 2004. Early development also included hotels in Lubbock, Texas, and Oklahoma City. The chain expanded rapidly during its first decade and had nearly 150 locations in operation by 2009. Its hotel design generally provided separate or defined sleeping, living, and eating areas, together with appliances such as refrigerators, microwaves, cooktops, and dishwashers. These features were intended to let guests prepare meals and live more independently during extended visits. A significant operating and design revision arrived in 2013 with the Value Place 2.0 prototype. The new format was intended to reduce property-level costs and simplify housekeeping by making rooms quicker and easier to clean. It incorporated updated air-conditioning equipment, LED lighting, and motion-activated lighting. The prototype reflected the brand’s effort to improve efficiency while maintaining an economy-oriented guest experience. In April 2015, Value Place adopted the WoodSpring Suites name. Company chief executive Bruce Haase said the prior name had not communicated the brand’s intended value clearly enough to customers. At the time of the rebranding, the system consisted of 84 company-owned locations and 112 franchised locations. The company also launched WoodSpring Suites Signature, a mid-priced offshoot with amenities such as fitness centers, laundry facilities, and meeting spaces. The new name and tiered approach broadened the brand’s presentation while preserving its extended-stay foundation. In December 2017, Lindsay Goldberg sold WoodSpring Suites and its franchise business to Choice Hotels International for approximately $231 million. WoodSpring had roughly 240 locations at the time. The acquisition brought the brand into Choice Hotels’ multi-brand lodging portfolio and provided a larger corporate platform for continued franchising and development. By December 2024, the chain had 256 hotels and 30,846 rooms in the United States. Its current identity remains tied to economy extended-stay lodging. Rather than competing primarily through extensive hotel services, WoodSpring Suites emphasizes usable room layouts, kitchen amenities, longer-stay convenience, and operating consistency. The brand’s history is therefore defined by the development of a specialized lodging format, repeated efforts to standardize and reduce operating complexity, a 2015 repositioning and name change, and its integration into Choice Hotels after the 2017 acquisition.

• 2024

  System reaches 256 hotels

  [1]WoodSpring Suitesen.wikipedia.org

  As of December 2024, WoodSpring Suites had 256 hotels and 30,846 rooms across the United States.

• 2017

  Choice Hotels acquires the brand

  [1]WoodSpring Suitesen.wikipedia.org

  Choice Hotels acquired WoodSpring Suites and its franchise business from Lindsay Goldberg for approximately $231 million.

• 2015

  Value Place becomes WoodSpring Suites

  [1]WoodSpring Suitesen.wikipedia.org

  The company rebranded its main chain as WoodSpring Suites and introduced the WoodSpring Suites Signature concept.

• 2013

  Value Place 2.0 prototype debuts

  [1]WoodSpring Suitesen.wikipedia.org

  The company introduced a redesigned prototype featuring operating-efficiency changes, updated air-conditioning, LED lighting, and motion-controlled lighting.

• 2009

  Network reaches nearly 150 locations

  [1]WoodSpring Suitesen.wikipedia.org

  Value Place had expanded to almost 150 operating locations.

• 2004

  First hotel opens in Wichita

  [1]WoodSpring Suitesen.wikipedia.org

  The first Value Place property opened in Wichita, Kansas.

• 2003

  Value Place is founded

  [1]WoodSpring Suitesen.wikipedia.org

  Jack DeBoer founded the extended-stay hotel business that initially operated under the Value Place name.

An economy extended-stay hotel brand offering practical, apartment-like rooms for longer stays, with in-room kitchen facilities and a streamlined, limited-service operating model.

• Economy extended-stay hotels · 2003

  WoodSpring Suites

  The core WoodSpring Suites format provides practical extended-stay rooms designed for guests staying a week or longer. Rooms generally include kitchen-oriented equipment such as refrigerators, microwaves, and cooktops, with some properties also offering dishwashers. The concept typically defines separate sleeping, living, and eating areas and limits daily services and communal amenities compared with traditional hotels. This combination supports longer occupancy and gives guests greater independence during their stay.

• Mid-priced extended-stay hotels · 2015

  WoodSpring Suites Signature

  WoodSpring Suites Signature was introduced as a mid-priced variation of the brand. It retained the extended-stay orientation and practical room concept while adding amenities intended to support a broader customer proposition, including fitness centers, laundry facilities, and meeting spaces. The Signature format represented an effort to create a more amenity-rich tier without abandoning the brand’s longer-stay operating model.

• 2015Value Place to WoodSpring Suites rebranding

  United States

  The company replaced the Value Place name with WoodSpring Suites to communicate its lodging proposition more effectively and address customer hesitation associated with the former branding.

  Outcome. The renamed brand continued operating through both company-owned and franchised properties, while WoodSpring Suites Signature was introduced as a related mid-priced concept.

  Source

• 2017

  Sale to Choice Hotels InternationalM&A

  Background

  Lindsay Goldberg sold the WoodSpring Suites brand and franchise business after the chain had grown to approximately 240 locations.

  Action taken

  Choice Hotels International acquired the business for approximately $231 million.

  Aftermath

  WoodSpring Suites became part of Choice Hotels’ lodging portfolio and continued as an extended-stay brand.

  Reported transaction value. $231 million (December 2017)

  Source

• 2015

  Rebrand from Value Place to WoodSpring SuitesStrategy

  Background

  Management believed the Value Place name did not clearly communicate the intended customer experience and may have discouraged some prospective guests.

  Action taken

  The company changed its primary brand name to WoodSpring Suites and launched WoodSpring Suites Signature as a mid-priced extension.

  Aftermath

  The business continued to operate with a mix of company-owned and franchised properties under the new WoodSpring identity.

  Source

• 2013

  Adoption of the Value Place 2.0 hotel prototypeGeneration change

  Background

  The company sought to improve property-level efficiency and reduce the time and cost required to clean and operate its extended-stay rooms.

  Action taken

  It introduced a redesigned prototype with updated air-conditioning systems, LED lighting, and motion-controlled lighting.

  Aftermath

  The prototype became a notable step in standardizing the economy extended-stay format before the later WoodSpring Suites rebrand.

  Source

1. 1WoodSpring Suitesen.wikipedia.org