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SEPTEMBER 01, 2014

Home2 Suites by Hilton Developer of the Year: Jake Wurzak & Wurzak Hotel Group

The Home2 Suites by Hilton Philadelphia Center City, PA is a standout property for its urban location, impressive size (248 suites!) and beautiful design, earning Jake Wurzak and the

Wurzak Hotel Group our Home2 Suites Developer of the Year Award.

A Perfect Urban FitThe Home2 Suites Philadelphia is a great example of private-‐public partnership working together to improve one of Philadelphia’s most vibrant and important neighborhoods. The hotel is

located across the street from the Pennsylvania Convention Center and the Reading Terminal Market, two of Philadelphia's most popular destinations.

“The location is one of the best sites in the city because it’s in the central business district and at the crossroads of two of the largest attractions,” says Jake Wurzak. “The Home2 brand is

perfect for this urban environment because of its efficient operating model, fantastic design and guest amenity offering. A focused-‐service brand is great for downtown locations because of

the many food and beverage outlets within walking distance,” he adds.

Design & DetailsThere were several design elements that make this project unique. Many of the guestrooms feature Queen/Queen beds which are required by some travel groups. “We also took extra special

care to make the lobby a standout in the market to better compete with the more upscale hotels,” Jake says. “It has a real Philadelphia feel and the furniture was custom designed for the

space. It’s hip and cosmopolitan, with locally sourced elements and Philadelphia imagery. The Home2 DNA is evident throughout, particularly in the beautiful Oasis that is always crowded with

people enjoying breakfast, sending emails, or relaxing with a late afternoon coffee.

“We also wanted to create an outstanding gym with the best available equipment on the market. The gym is larger than a typical prototype and our guests absolutely love it. We think it helps

us compete with some of the full service hotels in the market,” he says.

On Time & Under BudgetJake says the urban location meant higher costs, a longer planning process and numerous city approvals, but the team was able to deliver the hotel on time and under budget in about 14

months.

“We always develop best-‐in-‐class hotels in key markets, and Home2 embodies every aspect of our business strategy. The room size and build cost are budget friendly. Hilton Worldwide has

been very helpful in marketing the project and supporting us through the process. Bill Duncan is a not only a great friend but an amazing brand leader. He took time to personally ensure the

project was running smoothly during construction and on through operations,” Jake says.

In retrospect, Jake has few regrets. “Maybe more luggage storage locations, and potentially a larger meeting room,” he says. His advice? “Understand your market and always strive to get

the most bang for the buck when developing a hotel. Guests may not notice all of the little details developers labor over, but they will recognize the extra care spent in the overall package …

which should result in a bigger top line.”

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