As part of a $1 billion investment designed to improve its entire portfolio of 629 properties, Extended Stay America ("ESA") recently began improving the exterior lighting at many of its facilities. From a lighting perspective, the technology used to illuminate the buildings, parking lots and common areas were outdated by almost 20 years. Existing light levels were not acceptable and maintenance costs were unsustainable.

The guiding principle of the initiative was to "improve the guest experience," and the initial launch focused on external aesthetics. ESA aspires for its guests to feel relaxed in a comfortable and affordable hotel. The shortfalls of the exterior lighting were having a negative impact on the guest experience. The organization was looking for a solution that would improve aesthetics in a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly manner.

"We developed a solution that would replace the existing pole and wallpacks at ESA's properties with LED luminaires," said Jeff Moreau, national accounts manager for hospitality at Hubbell Lighting. "Our product portfolio features innovative and reliable luminaries that incorporate prominent design aesthetics in a cost-effective manner. Through a rigorous specification process with proprietary design tools, we decided to employ Beacon Product's Vipers, Spaulding Lighting's Cimarron LED and Laredo luminaires, all of which have won accolades for photometric performance and efficiency."

By replacing the legacy fixtures, ESA has been able to improve outdoor lighting levels, ultimately contributing to the safety and security of guests, visitors and staff. Lighting performance and quality have been improved, affording ESA the ability to achieve better light uniformity and increase light levels in critical places that were flagged as potential areas of risk. All of this was accomplished with an aesthetically pleasing luminaire package that looked good in the daytime and met all the desired metrics at night.

The LED technology has had an immediate return on the investment for ESA. Energy expenses have been reduced, and the projected energy savings once all 629 hotels are completed is 18,500,000 kWh per year, translating to a savings of $1,750,000 per year.

There has been a substantial impact on short-term maintenance costs, and ESA expects this to be the benchmark moving forward as associated costs are anticipated to decrease $1.2 million to $1.5 million per year.

The expected environmental impact is a CO2 reduction of 10,216 metric tons. This is equivalent to removing 2,151 passenger vehicles a year from U.S. roadways. 

“We are in the process of implementing one of the most important initiatives in the history of our company," said David Crider, director of energy & sustainability, Extended Stay America. The $1 billion investment we are making to improve the customer experience at every single one of our properties will have a substantial impact on our material success moving forward. We left no stone unturned in our planning stage to ensure we selected the right partners, products and services that would help us achieve our mission. Hubbell Lighting and The InSite Group developed a solution for us that is environmentally and aesthetically appealing, enhances the quality of the light through performance and control and helps us reduce energy use and lifetime cost of ownership. But most importantly, these are reliable systems that increase the safety and security of our customers, visitors and staff. We couldn't be more pleased."