SpringHill Suites to Open in 2016

February 19,2015

Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Vision Hospitality Group on Feb. 17 submitted plans in Atlanta for a 9-story hotel next to the Georgia Aquarium.

The 146-room hotel would be built at 239 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, between Venable and McAfee streets. It's projected to open in summer 2016, according to Vision Hospitality.

The hotel is expected to be branded as a SpringHill Suites, a select-service brand from Marriott International Inc. that's "designed for the rapidly growing segment of lifestyle travelers seeking smart, stylish experiences in the upper-moderate tier," says the hotel giant.

The project further validates the strength of Atlanta's bustling tourism and convention industry.

"The hospitality industry is going through a growth phase here, no doubt about it," said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress. "This type of [hotel] product seems appropriate for conventions and, more importantly, weekend tourism."

Vision Hospitality bought the 0.66-acre site in July 2013 for $2.2 million, according to Fulton County property records.

The new hotel project comes as the local lodging industry sees its strongest performance in years. In 2014, metro Atlanta ranked No. 1 for the highest growth rate in hotel occupancy among the top 25 U.S. markets, jumping more than 8 percent last year to 70.7 percent.

A host of new hotel projects are popping up in downtown.

Construction is nearly complete on a 150-room Hyatt House hotel by the Georgia Aquarium, which would be in walking distance to Vision Hospitality's project. It's expected to open mid-2015.

Also planned for the area in 2015 is a 129-key Homewood Suites by Hilton. Atlanta-based Legacy Properties Group LLC intends to build the hotel along Marietta Street near Centennial Olympic Park.

Atlanta's Portman Holdings LLC is bringing a new Hotel Indigo to downtown's Peachtree Center. The roughly 200-room hotel is taking the first nine floors of the 230 Peachtree St. office building. It could open later this year.

And, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority is looking at a new hotel for its campus. With up to 1,200 rooms, it could be the city's third-largest hotel when construction starts around 2018.

Vision Hospitality has other hotels in the pipeline for metro Atlanta. That list includes a Homewood Suites by Hilton in the Perimeter area, a Courtyard by Marriott in Duluth, and a Hampton Inn & Suites in Decatur, according to the company's website.