NEW HOTEL TO SUPPORT TOURISM AND BUSINESS ACROSS THE AREA

STORY BY BETSY ILER PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS

From children’s sporting events to weddings, fishing tournaments and local jobs, the new Holiday Inn Express is expected to provide an economic boost to Alexander City when it opens in 2024. Tallapoosa County Tourism Director Sandra Fuller announced the project last month with owner Jay Patel of Alexander City and IHG Hotels & Resorts. The $8 million project on U.S. Highway 280 will bring more than 20 new jobs and will fill a gap in accommodations in the area.

“I think we will see an increase in our lodging tax revenues, and that will mean more revenue coming to the city,” Fuller explained. “Sonny Wilson at Alexander City Parks and Recreation recruits sporting events to the sportplex, and this will be an attractive venue for him to bring people in. He’s got to have hotels where families and teams of children athletes can stay, and he’s had families stay in Sylacauga instead of coming to Alexander City.”

With its spectacular beauty and some 23 event venues, the Lake Martin area has become a destination for weddings as well. While wedding parties frequently rent lake homes and stay in the area for several days, many guests plan a quicker trip, arriving in town the day before or the day of the event and leaving the day after.

“About 60 percent of wedding guests come from outside our area. This hotel will give us another opportunity to accommodate that growing industry,” Fuller said.

Manager at Alexander City’s The Orchard on Washington wedding and event center, Donna King said inquiries about local accommodations often are part of a bride’s interview when looking at wedding venues.

“We can lodge people at The Orchard. Usually, it’s a family or a small group of friends or maybe the bride and groom want to spend the night instead of having to drive somewhere, but lodging is a question that people have,” King said. “ Everyone likes new and shiny, and for us to be able to say we have this nice, new Holiday Inn Express down the road that can house a large number of people, I think that will help the wedding industry here and our community as a whole.”

Fishing tournament anglers also could make up a

wide audience of guests at the new hotel, said Vivian Autry, who along with her husband Mike owns OGS Tournaments. The Holiday Inn Express will cater to anglers by installing electrical boxes, which will allow anglers to charge their onboard electronics overnight. Double parking spaces will offer easier arrival and departure, as boat trailers could remain hooked up to tow vehicles.

“OGS Tournaments is super excited about the new hotel coming to Alexander City. We lose many anglers to Lake Martin because we have very few hotels, and they cannot charge their electronics, which are essential to every tournament. If anglers comes here and pre-fish on a Friday, Formula Blue they need to charge their The new Holiday Inn boats and electronics for the Express will follow IHG tournament on Saturday,” Autry explained. “On other Hotels' modern design for seamless traveling. lakes, such as Guntersville or Eufala, all the surrounding hotels have electrical outlets and double parking.

“They even serve breakfast at 4 a.m. versus 6 a.m. to ensure that the anglers can get a free breakfast before they have to be on the water at daybreak. These areas that cater to the anglers have done extremely well. We hope that other hotels in our area will follow suit.”

General manager of Patel’s hotel interests, Janet Mason, said the early bird breakfast already is a feature of the company’s local business, and the practice will be implemented at the new Holiday Inn Express.

In addition, Alexander City Chamber of Commerce CEO and president Ed Collari noted that the Holiday Inn Express could be a popular option for business travelers and another source for lodging tax monies.

“It will be a very nice addition to our lodging options. I’m not sure the last time we had a hotel built in our market. I think the last one was Hampton Inn. It will be nice to have new, fresh, upscale inventory offering amenities that business travelers who come in and through our area utilize. This will give them a fresh, new option, so we keep those lodging tax dollars in our city,” Collari said.

The three-story hotel will have convenient U.S. Highway 280 access, and in addition to 70 guest rooms, the Holiday Inn Express will include a conference area and business center. Business travelers also take advantage of fitness center equipment and swimming pool facilities that will be features of the new

hotel. The hotel’s design will follow the brand’s Formula Blue modern design program, said Corinne Smundin, regional director of franchise openings for IHG Hotels & Resorts. “From our fresh, hot and free Express Start breakfast to ample meeting space, the hotel will deliver the ideal combination of beneficial amenities and an energetic design for a memorable stay,” Smundin said. The design is based on key components that are most relevant to Holiday Inn Express guests, including frictionless flow and a value-rich, uncomplicated experience. The simple, sleek, functional design appeals to IHG’s Smart Traveler program members, who typically range in age from 25 to 44 years old and are price-conscious but value-smart. A plus of the design, especially for families and women traveling alone, is that it will feature guest room access through indoor corridors, Fuller said. Comfort and Convenience Clockwise from below left: The hotel will include an outdoor pool; a spacious “Some people want to stay in a hotel that offers inside-access to guest rooms. That’s a common request, especially among families, ball tournaments for kids and women. People who want to stay at inside hotels breakfast area; a fitness will go to another community close by the event they room; and guest rooms with are visiting just to be at an inside hotel,” she said. indoor corridor access. Fuller acted as a liaison in the recruitment of the

project, as she paired a tourism networking contact with Alexander City Mayor Curtis “Woody” Baird, the City council and Al Jones, community development director for the City of Alexander City, who matched available property to the new business project. “I try to visit each hotel in our area every other month or so, just to check on what they are doing and what we can help them with, maybe with workforce development or connecting them to other services in the area,” she explained.

Prior to taking the directorship at Tallapoosa County Tourism, Fuller was on the recruitment team at Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance, and when she learned that Jay Patel at Super 8 was thinking about building another hotel in the area, she connected him with city officials.

Mason said the project has been in the works for about six months, and they hope to begin preliminary construction work about this time next year, taking into consideration expected supply chain delays and other business matters that must be finalized. In early 2024, they expect to build up from the slab.

“We are just beyond excited,” Mason said. “The location, behind and to the right of Chick-fil-A, is wonderful. It will be in front of the old Russell guesthouse location, on the 280 side of the creek. Guests will be able to sit outside in the evening and see all kinds of wildlife there.

“This has been Mr. Patel’s dream for quite a while, and he’s very excited that it is happening now.”

“Bringing Holiday Inn Express to Alexander City is a much-needed addition and fills a gap, making additional rooms available for visitors,” Mayor Baird said. “We appreciate the investment and confidence IHG shows in our growing economy.”

The new hotel will be located near the new City Hall campus, easily accessible to U.S. Route 280, as well as dining options on the highway corridor.

Opening in 2024

The new hotel is expected to be finished for occupation in 2024.

“This is a great day for Alexander City,” said Alexander City City Council President Buffy Colvin. “This hotel means that the needle for Alex City is moving in the right direction. The impact of a new hotel of this caliber will be felt for years to come.”