Houston combo extended-stay hotel plus apartment concept

HOUSTON – The Wichita, Kansas-based WaterWalk is poised to reinvent the lodging industry by combining the features of an extended-stay hotel and apartment while eliminating the downsides.

The Houston site is expected to begin construction June 2015, according to David Redfern, WaterWalk’s president.

It will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom, furnished or unfurnished units.

Like an apartment, WaterWalk will have a fitness center, in-unit washer and dryer and kitchen appliances.

Like a hotel, WaterWalk will boast a 24/7 shuttle service, free in-room breakfast, housekeeping and free cable and Internet.

Billed as the nation’s first "all inclusive apartment," WaterWalk charges its guests and residents on a monthly basis, eliminating application fees, security deposits and utility fees that burden typical tenants.

The new concept promises cheaper rents than an upscale extended-stay hotel. Residents can stay for a week or live for a year.

WaterWalk is the fifth and newest concept from Wichita, Kansas, entrepreneur Jack DeBoer, who founded the extended stay lodging industry with flags like Residence Inn, Summerfield Suites, Candlewood Suites and Value Place.

"Apartments are still being built and managed the same way they were more than 50 years ago, without any recognition of today’s mobile workforce and changing consumer lifestyles," DeBoer said in a statement. "None of that is consumer friendly, so we did away with it all."

The first WaterWalk opened in Kansas earlier this year, and investors are planning to expand the locations to Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville and St. Louis.