This hotel chain is giving people a surprising new way to customize their rooms by offering it without furniture

Before following in her grandfather's footsteps and taking over the business in Wichita, Kansas, Oliver worked on Wall Street. As she says, "If I write an autobiography, it'll be called 'From Wall Street to Wichita.'''

Well, with WaterWalk, you might not get this feeling. And that's the point.

And they all have the convenience of fully-equipped apartments, including a kitchen and in-unit washers and dryers.

Think of it as an apartment with monthly (with WiFi and utilities included).

This includes proving a credit score of at least 550 and a monthly income of two-and-a-half to three times the rent, according to WaterWalk's website.

And there's no need to scramble to submit an application before any other potential residents get to it first.

These rooms target the traditional extended-stay corporate traveler, think employees who have to relocate for a job or temporarily move for training.

But as we now know, business travel hasn't rebounded like leisure travel.

This doesn't seem to be a concern for Oliver.

Prices start at about $115 to over $200 a night for these accommodations depending on the time of year. During high travel season, its Phoenix location books closer to $250 a night.

On average, guests in WaterWalk's furniture-less rooms stay for a whopping approximately 400 nights, Oliver said.

Other than corporate travelers, guests who book these are typically looking for a temporary home for an undefined period of time. This includes families, individuals, traveling nurses, and digital nomads.

"You feel like you're in a home or an apartment where you can live for a while," Oliver said.

And some guests have taken this sentiment to heart. Oliver says one of its residents at the brand's Wichita, Kansas location has lived there for about five years.

But its newest "Gen 2" prototype locations have about 10% more furnished than unfurnished rooms, although the brand can easily add or remove furniture if it sees the need for one over the other.

But the opposite is true for its Charlotte, North Carolina hotel where the brand has seen more bookings for furnished rooms.

Oliver says its locations have been seeing "very high occupancy" aided by the unusually long length of stays.

And because guests are staying for an extended period, it doesn't see "huge dips" in this.

An email from a spokesperson said WaterWalk's "pipeline is expected to double in size over the next 24 months."

Its Sandy Springs, Georgia location — near Atlanta — was previously a Residence Inn before the team spent nine months and about $70,000 per key to turn it into a 128-room WaterWalk.

And later this year, it'll open two in Jacksonville, Florida, and Huntsville, Alabama as well.

And it's already looking into other "high growth" markets in locations like Reno, Nevada; Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee, and more in Florida.