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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Twickenham Square Hotel Announced

A rendering of the new Homewood Suites, looking north from Gallatin. (Rendering credit: Chapman Sisson Architects)
Homewood Suites, a Hilton brand extended-stay hotel chain, will construct a 101-suite hotel at the Twickenham Square project, also known as the Councill Court redevelopment site. The four-story, $11.5 million building will be built on Gallatin between Lowe and St. Clair. Construction is expected to begin this fall, and the hotel is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2013. PHD Hotels of Auburn is the developer, along with Huntsville's Triad Properties.

In addition to the advantages of having another hotel downtown, this particular site is especially ideal for an extended-stay chain because it's within walking distance of Huntsville Hospital, making it appealing for patients' families who may need longer-term stays-- their closest options for such accommodations right now are on University Drive. Having a Publix grocery store down the street will make the hotel even more appealing for extended-stay guests.

This hotel project is not new territory, neither for Huntsville nor Homewood. The first Homewood Suites in Huntsville, located in Providence, is situated in a similar mixed-use environment to what is proposed at Twickenham Square. The design of that hotel and its surroundings were highlighted recently on Better! Cities and Towns, a planning blog.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blount Hospitality House, is a home away from home for families who have a loved one in the hospital. It has been on the corner of Lowe and Madison Street for 32 years this year. It is a great option for familes who must stay in Huntsville for an extended amount of time due to having a loved one in the hospital. It seems that in all of these articles, there is no refrence to this great cause.

Nick said...

The hotels at Providence look great. Why, then, does this hotel look so suburban. I wonder why a developer would even bother with custom architecture (Chapman Sisson - who are terrible). I guess the larger picture of this development is amiable though.