If any hotel company can make a difference, Extended Stay America can. The lodging company is one of the largest hotel operators in North America and welcomes more than 70,000 guests every night.
“With that reach I believe we have a civic obligation to use our platform for good,” stated Extended Stay America president and CEO Bruce Haase in a video about the company’s new initiative to help its guests to register to vote ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election in November.
As a part of the new “Stay Counted” initiative, 561 company-owned Extended Stay America hotels in 41 states as well as some franchise locations will serve as virtual voter registration centers, complete with voter registration “ambassadors” trained to assist would-be voters on how to register either online or via mail and to answer any questions they might have.
Guests can kick-start the registration process online at esa.com/stay-counted where there are also additional resources such as a list of states that only offer mail-in voter registration, and a list of voter registration deadlines by state (which range from no deadline to up to 30 days prior to Election Day). Extended Stay America is also providing stamped envelopes for those registering in states that do not offer online registration.
The states that only offer mail-in voter registration are:
- Arkansas
- Maine
- Mississippi
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Wyoming
The hotel company also plans to encourage voting in the 2020 presidential election through email campaigns, on-site signage, and stickers provided to staff and guests who register to vote.
More than 70,000 guests stay in Extended Stay America properties each night.
Courtesy of Extended Stay America
As its name indicates, Extended Stay America properties are designed for longer stays but they suit overnight guests as well. Every room has a full kitchen, and the hotels feature a mix of standard rooms and spacious suites for long-term stays. There are guest laundry facilities at every hotel, as well as pet-friendly room options.
Extended Stay America actually weathered the coronavirus pandemic storm better than most other public hotel companies in the United States. All of its properties have remained open since the beginning of the pandemic, and occupancy levels have recently climbed back up to more than 80 percent—approaching prepandemic 2019 levels, according to the company’s second-quarter earnings report, which was released this week.
“As members of complex and diverse national and local communities, we have the power to determine the quality of life we want for ourselves, our families and future generations. When we vote we ensure our voices are heard and we are empowered to take an active role in shaping not only our own future, but the future of our country,” the company stated on its Stay Counted web portal.
“Voting is a right for every American citizen—all voices deserve to be heard and counted.”
Tip: For those who want a quick reminder of how many days are left until the election, Extended Stay America has a convenient ticker on its site.
The 2020 U.S. presidential election will take place on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
