Three large hotel chains are opening locations in Florence. Once the construction of the new hotels is complete, an additional 258 rooms will be available in Florence and Lauderdale County.
Residence Inn by Marriott, Comfort Suites, and Holiday Inn Express are all under construction right now, but in the near future these new hotels will be open for business in Florence.
"We are very excited," says Kristy Vickery, General Manager of the Holiday Inn Express, which is located on Etta Gray Street.
The Holiday Inn Express will have 80 rooms, including 16 suites. According to Vickery, room rates will range from $89 to $129. Despite the bad economy, Vickery says the hotel's owner, Omega Hotel Group, views Florence and Lauderdale County as a stable local market and is very optimistic about its success.
"There are always people traveling and they have to have somewhere to stay," says Vickery. "The economy is a little slow right now, but we are 100 percent confident that we're going to do absolutely fabulous."
The Residence Inn by Marriott on Sweetwater Avenue is the largest of the new developments, with 110 rooms. Comfort Suites, which is being built on Matthew Paul Court, will have 68 rooms. Both are all suites hotels.
The new hotels combined with existing ones means that on any given day, 1,162 rooms will be available in Florence and Lauderdale County.
"It's huge for this area," says Alison Stanfield, Assistant Director of Florence-Lauderdale Tourism.
Stanfield says the new hotels are a big benefit in terms of making sure the local tourism industry stays strong.
"It will certainly increase our lodging revenues, the bottom line of our budget, which will give us more money to market this area outside of the Shoals area to try and bring in more people for bass tournaments, special events, and conferences," explains Stanfield.
Stanfield says the extra space also gives them more options when overflow happens during large events. Visitors and residents who bring family and friends to stay in the city will now have more to choose from.
All three hotels are slated to open within the first three months of 2010.
Residence Inn by Marriott, Comfort Suites, and Holiday Inn Express are all under construction right now, but in the near future these new hotels will be open for business in Florence.
"We are very excited," says Kristy Vickery, General Manager of the Holiday Inn Express, which is located on Etta Gray Street.
The Holiday Inn Express will have 80 rooms, including 16 suites. According to Vickery, room rates will range from $89 to $129. Despite the bad economy, Vickery says the hotel's owner, Omega Hotel Group, views Florence and Lauderdale County as a stable local market and is very optimistic about its success.
"There are always people traveling and they have to have somewhere to stay," says Vickery. "The economy is a little slow right now, but we are 100 percent confident that we're going to do absolutely fabulous."
The Residence Inn by Marriott on Sweetwater Avenue is the largest of the new developments, with 110 rooms. Comfort Suites, which is being built on Matthew Paul Court, will have 68 rooms. Both are all suites hotels.
The new hotels combined with existing ones means that on any given day, 1,162 rooms will be available in Florence and Lauderdale County.
"It's huge for this area," says Alison Stanfield, Assistant Director of Florence-Lauderdale Tourism.
Stanfield says the new hotels are a big benefit in terms of making sure the local tourism industry stays strong.
"It will certainly increase our lodging revenues, the bottom line of our budget, which will give us more money to market this area outside of the Shoals area to try and bring in more people for bass tournaments, special events, and conferences," explains Stanfield.
Stanfield says the extra space also gives them more options when overflow happens during large events. Visitors and residents who bring family and friends to stay in the city will now have more to choose from.
All three hotels are slated to open within the first three months of 2010.
