Suburban Studios

Suburban Studios is an American extended-stay lodging franchise focused on practical, longer-duration accommodation. The brand traces its origins to Suburban Lodges of America, an Atlanta-based hotel company that opened its first property in 1987 in Forest Park, Georgia, near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. That original property contained 126 rooms and established the brand's emphasis on room layouts and services suited to guests staying beyond a conventional short hotel visit. The business initially operated under the Suburban Lodge name and also franchised a related format called Suburban Lodge Extra. In May 2002, InTown Suites acquired Suburban Lodges of America. The transaction included 65 company-owned hotels, 62 franchised properties, and the 73-hotel GuestHouse International franchise. InTown Suites later separated the Suburban Extended Stay and GuestHouse International franchise operations from the hotels it retained. The owners of the 62 franchised Suburban Lodge properties subsequently acquired the franchise arm and formed Suburban Franchise Systems. Choice Hotels acquired Suburban Franchise Systems in 2005 for a reported purchase price of US$10 million. Under Choice, the business was known as Suburban Extended Stay Hotels for many years. The brand's positioning remained centered on extended-stay value: rooms were designed to provide more independence than a conventional hotel room, while the franchise model allowed properties to serve local demand from relocating workers, project-based employees, students, families between homes, and other guests requiring accommodation for multiple nights or weeks. In 2022, Choice Hotels renamed the chain Suburban Studios. The rebrand introduced a new visual identity and updated room design, with the first property converted to the new name located in Chicago. The concept uses modular design packages for guestrooms, kitchens, and lobbies, allowing individual franchise properties to adopt a consistent brand presentation without requiring identical building layouts. Every room is described as having a kitchen, while the operating offer includes 24-hour laundry facilities, high-speed internet, and housekeeping on a biweekly schedule. These features reinforce the brand's practical, self-sufficient extended-stay proposition rather than a full-service hotel experience. The chain continued expanding through franchising. In 2023, Suburban Studios franchised its 100th hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. By the end of 2024, the system had 111 locations in the United States. A newly opened Suburban Studios also became Choice Hotels' 500th franchised extended-stay property, placing the brand within Choice's broader effort to grow its extended-stay presence. Suburban Studios competes in the economy and midscale extended-stay segment. Its named competitors include Extended Stay America, InTown Suites, Best Western's SureStay Studios, and Studio 6, which is associated with OYO Rooms. The brand's primary differentiation is its combination of in-room kitchens, essential guest amenities, a franchise-led national footprint, and a relatively straightforward accommodation model for longer stays. It remains an active United States-only brand within Choice Hotels, although its precise corporate headquarters and standalone financial performance are not separately identified in the available reference material.

Suburban Studios developed from Suburban Lodges of America, an Atlanta-based hotel company established in the 1980s. In 1987, the company opened its first property, a 126-room hotel in Forest Park, Georgia, close to Atlanta's major airport. The business pursued both company-operated and franchised lodging, using the Suburban Lodge and Suburban Lodge Extra names. In May 2002, InTown Suites purchased Suburban Lodges of America. The deal brought together 65 company-owned hotels, 62 franchised properties, and the 73-hotel GuestHouse International franchise. InTown Suites subsequently separated the Suburban Extended Stay and GuestHouse International franchise activities from the hotel assets it retained. The owners of the former franchised Suburban Lodge properties acquired the franchise operation and created Suburban Franchise Systems. Choice Hotels acquired Suburban Franchise Systems in 2005 for US$10 million. By that time, the franchise business was operating under the Suburban Extended Stay Hotels identity. The acquisition placed the brand in Choice's portfolio and gave it access to the larger company's franchising infrastructure and lodging distribution system. For much of its pre-2022 history, Suburban Extended Stay Hotels served the extended-stay segment with rooms intended for guests remaining longer than a typical transient hotel customer. Its model emphasized practical accommodation rather than extensive food, meeting, or resort services. Kitchens and basic self-service facilities allowed guests to manage some daily routines independently, making the brand relevant to workers on temporary assignments, relocating households, and other longer-term travelers. Choice Hotels refreshed the concept in 2022 by changing the name to Suburban Studios. The rebrand included a new logo and a revised room design. Chicago was the first identified property to make the transition. Choice described the updated concept as using modular design packages for kitchens and lobbies, a format that can support consistent brand standards across buildings with different physical configurations. The current offer includes a kitchen in every room, round-the-clock laundry access, high-speed internet, and housekeeping every two weeks. The post-rebrand business continued to expand through franchising. In 2023, Suburban Studios franchised its 100th hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. By the end of 2024, the chain had 111 locations across the United States. A new Suburban Studios was also recognized as the 500th franchised extended-stay property in the Choice Hotels system. The brand remains active and competes with other extended-stay operators, including Extended Stay America, InTown Suites, SureStay Studios, and Studio 6.

• 2024

  System reaches 111 locations

  [1]Suburban Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  The chain had 111 United States locations by the end of the year, and a new property became Choice Hotels' 500th franchised extended-stay location.

• 2023

  100th hotel is franchised

  [1]Suburban Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Suburban Studios franchised its 100th hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota.

• 2022

  Suburban Extended Stay Hotels becomes Suburban Studios

  [1]Suburban Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Choice Hotels launched the current name, logo, and updated room-design concept, with Chicago identified as the first transition location.

• 2005

  Choice Hotels acquires Suburban Franchise Systems

  [1]Suburban Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Choice Hotels purchased the parent of Suburban Extended Stay Hotels for US$10 million.

• 2002

  InTown Suites acquires Suburban Lodges of America

  [1]Suburban Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  InTown Suites acquired the company, including 65 company-owned hotels, 62 franchised properties, and the GuestHouse International franchise.

• 2002

  Suburban franchise operation is separated and reorganized

  [1]Suburban Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  After the InTown Suites transaction, owners of the former franchised Suburban Lodge locations acquired the franchise arm and formed Suburban Franchise Systems.

• 1987

  First Suburban Lodges of America property opens

  [1]Suburban Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  The Atlanta-based company opened a 126-room hotel in Forest Park, Georgia, establishing the business that later developed into Suburban Studios.

A practical, value-oriented extended-stay hotel brand offering self-contained guestrooms and essential services for guests who need accommodation for multiple nights or longer.

• Hotel accommodation · 2022

  Suburban Studios extended-stay guestrooms

  The core offering is a practical hotel room intended for extended stays rather than only overnight travel. Each room includes a kitchen, giving guests facilities for preparing food and managing longer visits with greater independence than a standard limited-service room. The brand supplements the guestrooms with high-speed internet, 24-hour laundry access, and housekeeping on a biweekly schedule.

• Former hotel brand · 1987

  Suburban Lodge

  Suburban Lodge was the original name used by the business founded by Suburban Lodges of America. The company also franchised a related Suburban Lodge Extra format before the franchise operation passed through later ownership and was ultimately acquired by Choice Hotels.

• Former hotel brand

  Suburban Extended Stay Hotels

  Suburban Extended Stay Hotels was the name used for the franchise before Choice Hotels introduced the Suburban Studios identity in 2022. It represented the same broad extended-stay lodging proposition centered on longer-duration accommodation.

• 2022

  Rebrand to Suburban StudiosStrategy

  Background

  Choice Hotels sought to refresh the identity of its extended-stay franchise while retaining its practical, longer-duration lodging proposition.

  Action taken

  Choice Hotels replaced the Suburban Extended Stay Hotels name with Suburban Studios, introduced a new logo, and updated room and lobby design standards using modular packages.

  Aftermath

  The first identified conversion took place in Chicago, and the brand continued expanding through franchising after the identity change.

  Source

• 2005

  Choice Hotels acquires Suburban Franchise SystemsM&A

  Background

  Suburban Franchise Systems controlled the franchise business then known as Suburban Extended Stay Hotels after the earlier separation from InTown Suites' retained hotel assets.

  Action taken

  Choice Hotels acquired Suburban Franchise Systems for US$10 million.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition brought the extended-stay franchise into Choice Hotels' portfolio, where it later operated under the Suburban Extended Stay Hotels name and then the Suburban Studios name.

  Acquisition price. US$10 million (2005)

  Source

1. 1Suburban Studiosen.wikipedia.org