Students from the Savannah College of Art & Design created two design schemes, including the Vista look, which is in a new property near Houston.

A unique partnership between the Savannah College of Art and Design and IHG’s Staybridge Suites brand has born fruit. The first hotel in the brand’s portfolio to open with designs created by interior design students at the school debuted last week near Houston. The 90-unit property in Stafford, TX developed by Clifton Hospitality includes the brand’s new Vista design scheme, one of two developed by a graduate-level class at the school.

According to Rob Radomski, IHG’s vice president, global brand management, for extended-stay brands, the highly competitive environment in the upscale extended-stay segment mandates “out-of-the-box designs, so we took an out-of-the-box approach.”

Using 20-something-year-old students to create new looks for the brand has another advantage, says Radomski: “Since they also represent the next generation of travelers, they were able to give us their personal concerns and experiences, which they used in their designs, but which also helps us serve this next generation of guests.”

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