A proposed hybrid full-service and extended-stay Hilton hotel is one step closer to approval after the Prosper Planning and Zoning Commission changed its original recommendation and voted in favor of the project.
The commission previously voted 6-0 against the permit at a March 25 meeting, largely due to concerns about the extended-stay portion of the development. Full-service hotels are permitted in Prosper by right, but extended-stay hotels require town approval through a special use permit.
At an April 28 meeting, Prosper Town Council sent the project back to the commission to be reconsidered after hearing additional information about the expected pricing and length of stay for the extended-stay component.
The commission voted 4-1 in favor of the project at a May 5 meeting. Commissioner John Hamilton remained opposed, and Chair Damon Jackson was not present for the vote.
The setup
The proposed hotel would be divided into a Hilton Garden Inn with 100 full-service rooms and a Homewood Suites by Hilton with 94 extended-stay rooms, according to town documents.
An extended-stay hotel room includes features like a kitchenette to accommodate stays of five or more days, according to Hilton representative Whitney Knight.
At the proposed dual-brand hotel, each brand would have a separate breakfast area but would share other amenities, including:
- Meeting space
- Fitness center
- Laundry facilities
- Restaurant and bar
What changed
The extended-stay portion of the hotel is designed to appeal to business travelers, who make up over 60% of Homewood Suites guests, Knight said.
The average guest stays at Homewood Suites for four days, and a standard room at the proposed Prosper location would cost $200-$300 per night, project representative Wes Hoblit said.
“This would be unfeasible for somebody to stay here four weeks, five weeks,” he said on April 28.
The representatives also clarified that there is no visible separation between the Garden Inn and Homewood Suites in the lobby of the building.
“You have one very open lobby space ... that replicates the full-service experience. Just the economics behind it are a little bit different,” Knight said.
What they’re saying
“The challenge for us from the beginning has been the extended-stay part of this,” Commissioner Brett Butler said. “With every extended-stay unit that we allow in Prosper, does that take away from the ability to put in full-service units down the road?”
Despite the extended-stay portion, most of the commissioners changed their minds about the project after hearing about the target clientele and the setup of the shared lobby.
“I walked in here as a pretty solid no,” Commissioner Matt Furay said. “Even though it’s extended-stay ... it’s really just one hotel with a couple of different room types. It certainly will be upscale.”
In his lone vote against the project, Hamilton cited the potential effect of extended-stay rooms on the demand for full-service hotels in the future.
“The number of full-service rooms we will end up with does matter, and we do want elevated full-service hotels,” he said.
Next steps
Following the commission’s updated recommendation, Prosper Town Council will review the project again at its May 19 meeting.
