June 26, 2020

The new extended-stay Staybridge Suites has opened in southwest Sioux Falls.

The four-story, 102-room hotel at 4210 W. 59th St. opened earlier this month and has many custom features along with the hotel’s latest prototype. Staybridge is the extended-stay concept from IHG. There’s also a location on The Empire Mall campus.

“The brand standards are there, but this is definitely a new look,” said Theresa Thesenvitz, regional manager for developer H&H Development Inc.

“It’s beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. It’s very, very nicely done.”

The property represents a return to the market for hotelier Lee Howell, who also has six other properties in Rapid City, Wyoming and Nebraska.

It features king studio suites, with free laundry facilities, an indoor pool and 24-hour fitness and business centers.

“The rooms are supplied very well, with full dishes, a laundry hamper, so they feel more at home and don’t have to run out and buy things,” Thesenvitz said.

Other extras will be added in the coming weeks, including a free hot breakfast and a free daily social Monday through Wednesday offering enough appetizers to make a meal.

“In each of the suites when people check in, there’s a menu on a magnet on the fridge, so they can see what’s going to be on the menu for those evenings, and it’s all included (in the stay),” Thesenvitz said, adding it’s a popular benefit for weekday guests.

“That’s your business traveler, and it’s definitely a perk. And we are pet-friendly, so that’s a huge one for people who might have had a fire in their home or water damage and can bring their pets with them, and we have a pet walk area.”

There’s also a patio area with grills and a fire pit.

While the hotel just opened earlier this month, reservations have been “picking up much nicer than we expected,” Thesenvitz said, adding they’re seeing leisure travelers as well as project-based travelers looking for extended-stay options.

“One of our first guests was tripping from Washington state to New York, and they stopped over and grabbed some stuff and hit the road again. Even our properties in Rapid City are starting to pick up very nicely. That’s an exciting thing.”