Corporate Housing Providers Association - CHPACorporate Housing Providers Association - CHPAMADISON, WI – Voyageur Extended Stays is honored to announce the grand opening of The Medallion, offering first-of-their-kind furnished apartments in downtown Madison. Unlike most apartments that use off-the-shelf furnishings, each unit features unique, hand-made, and custom-designed furniture and finishings throughout. Units are available for stays of 30 days or more.
The Medallion, located at 525 East Main Street, showcases the work of local master woodworkers with handmade wooden sofas featuring custom cushions, a monumental maple and black walnut headboard, wood ornamentation and custom shelving. Additionally, the design team had custom Axminster carpets and rugs, cabinet pulls, chairs, and light fixtures built for the units.
Creative Collaboration
The Medallion came about as a result of a collaboration between renowned Dutch designer Arno Hoogland and Voyageur’s owners Julia and Kristopher Steege-Reimann. The vision for The Medallion began when the Steege-Reimanns stayed in a hotel room designed by Hoogland in Amsterdam in fall 2022 and were blown away by his creative use of materials and color. The pair had recently finished renovating their first larger furnished apartment project – a 1929 Georgian Revival building named The Wilson in downtown Madison – and they were hungry to do another project and lean even more into custom, handcrafted design.
“We love renovating buildings in ways that bring out the beauty of the original design even more. And we’re passionate about collaborating with and supporting artists, designers, and woodworkers. Working with Arno and our woodworkers has been a dream,” said Kristopher Steege-Reimann.
When they reached out to Hoogland about designing their next furnished extended-stay project, the trio bonded over a shared love of Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright’s architectural legacy, combined with the building’s unique exterior brickwork, became pivotal inspirations for The Medallion’s design.
“To me, the diamond-shaped brickwork was especially interesting, since the simple construction of nine bricks creates an intricate visual. I used this diamond-shaped ‘medallion’ as a core visual element that returns in all facets of the interior design. In the detailing, material choices, and color palette I was inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, a renowned 20th century architect from Wisconsin,” said Hoogland.
Voyageur Extended Stays Takes New Life
The Medallion adds 21 units to Voyageur’s existing 25 furnished units in downtown Madison. With the launch of The Medallion, the business has become known as Voyageur Extended Stays and now offers furnished units at multiple buildings in downtown Madison. As the name suggests, furnished units are available for stays of 30 days or more and include all utilities and Wi-Fi.
Voyageur residents include everyone from campaign managers, traveling medical professionals, remote workers, visiting artists, grandparents visiting grandchildren, relocating workers, and people buying, selling, or renovating homes. They also include graduate students and academics, people seeking medical treatment, and those going through life changes.
Voyageur’s team prides itself in providing a curated, personalized Madison experience in both design and customer service. One aspect is that each unit includes a welcome package with local goodies and discounts for guests. They also organize resident gatherings at bars and rooftop decks and coordinate pontoon boat rides.
“We are so excited about Voyageur Extended Stays. For people who are relocating to Madison or spending a few months here, Voyageur’s buildings will help people fall in love with our city. That will greatly benefit our downtown,” said Jason Ilstrup, president of Downtown Madison Inc.
About Voyageur Extended Stays
Voyageur Extended Stays provides uniquely curated, furnished rentals for stays of 30 days or more in downtown Madison, Wisc. Learn more at www.voyageurstays.com. Follow our progress at @voyageurstays.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is launching its 25th brand through a new partnership with extended-stay company WaterWalk. The deal adds 11 hotels and more than 1,500 rooms to the Wyndham ecosystem, reflagging them under the newly-created upscale WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham brand.
“In the last year, guest demand for the extended-stay segment reached record highs, which has been underscored by demand from owners and developers looking for new opportunities to partner with Wyndham,” Chip Ohlsson, chief development officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said in a statement. “Our vision is to offer the industry’s most robust portfolio of extended-stay brands and the addition of WaterWalk marks an important step in that direction—helping ensure we have an offering in every segment, for every owner and for every guest.”
WaterWalk is Wyndham’s third extended-stay brand, joining ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham and Hawthorn Extended Stay by Wyndham. ECHO Suites launched in 2022 and has more than 265 economy new-construction hotels in its development pipeline, six of which are nearing completion. Last year, the Hawthorn brand reported 30 percent growth in its midscale conversion and new-construction development pipeline.
The WaterWalk Model
WaterWalk was founded in 2014 by the late Jack DeBoer, an extended-stay pioneer who created some of the segment’s most well-known brands, including Residence Inn (acquired by Marriott International in 1987) and Candlewood Suites (acquired by IHG in 2004). WaterWalk is now overseen by DeBoer’s granddaughter Mimi Oliver as the company’s CEO.
In response to the growing demand for sustainable practices in business travel, The Apartment Network (TAN) announces functionality that allows customers to include carbon offsetting for accommodations within its inquiry and booking process.
A recent survey1Source: GBTA states 92% of business travel professionals consider sustainability a top priority for their organizations. TAN is committed to providing its customers with information and the opportunity to make environmentally conscious decisions. While carbon offsetting alone may not be the solution, it can certainly play a role.
“ We’ve effectively offset our business travel and it made sense to offer our clients the same opportunity. We recognize that offsetting is not the sole solution, but it allows TAN to invest in the future, in renewable energy projects,” says Marcos Isaac, CEO, The Apartment Network.
Adding this functionality follows a year-long process to track and offset carbon emissions associated with its own team’s business travel. Despite operating as a fully remote business, TAN recognizes the necessity of face-to-face meetings and attending industry events, underscoring the importance of offsetting associated emissions.
Sam McMillen, Director of Marketing & ESG says: “The more we do to reduce our carbon footprint the better, but there will be a point where we’ve done all we can but are still leaving a mark.
“We will hear more about purposeful travel in 2024. Deciding to travel less and to stay longer is a conscious effort to get real value from each trip and to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”
Customers can be confident in the credibility of TAN’s carbon offsetting initiatives. All projects on the platform adhere to the highest standards, certified by national and international bodies. These include the Quality Assurance Standard (QAS) Approved, Verified Carbon Standard, The Gold Standard, and Clean Development Mechanism Approved Carbon Offsetting. The management of these schemes is entrusted to specialist partners with ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certifications, ensuring peace of mind for all stakeholders.