DRURY TO TEST ALL-SUITE HOTEL IN TEXAS

ST. LOUIS Drury Inns Inc., a St. Louis-based hotel operator, is testing an all-suite hotel market.

The Drury Suites, a new all-suites hotel, will debut in San Antonio, Texas, in July.

Drury Inns Inc. already operates four motels in the San Antonio area: two Drury Inns, a Hampton Inn and a Thrifty Inn.

"We would have to call the Drury Suites a test project because we have no immediate plans to build more," said Bonnie Chiaurro, manager of marketing services for Drury Inns. "We selected San Antonio because we have good name recognition there and in the rest of Texas. We want to try a new product in an area where we were already successful."

Drury Inns Inc. will manage the 139-suite hotel, which is being developed by Drury Southwest Corp., one of three hotel development branches of Cape Girardeau-based Drury Industries. Other development arms of Drury are Druco Inc. of St. Louis and Drury Development Inc. of Cape Girardeau.

Drury Inns operates 60 hotels in 11 Midwestern and Southwestern states. Drury Suites will offer full and junior suites. Each suit includes a microwave, refrigerator and king or double beds.