Shovels in the ground for $20-million Marriott hotel development on Hamilton Mountain
TownePlace Suites by Marriott will add 125 long-stay rooms
30 May, 2019 07:36 AM by Mark Newman Hamilton Mountain News
The foundation is taking shape on the new TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel on the east side of Upper James just south of the Linc.
"This is our first project in Hamilton," said Anita Dharamshi, managing partner of the Sigma Group from Toronto, who has partnered with the Kothari Group of Mississauga on the four-storey, 65,000-square-foot hotel that will include 125 rooms, an indoor pool and gymnasium.
The group purchased the 1.7 acres of land and rights to the hotel from city hotel operator Oscar Kichi last September.
While work began in March an official groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 29.
Anupam Kothari, president of the Kothari Group, said the hotel is a $20 million investment, adding their target market is people looking to stay more than one night.
"Every room has a full kitchen," Kothari noted. "It's designed for the long-term traveller coming to Hamilton."
The new hotel will also mean 35 new full-time jobs when it opens next spring.
While the hotel is not affiliated with the nearby Courtyard by Marriott, a separate Marriott franchise, Kothari said he believes the two hotels will complement each other.
"We think Hamilton is going through a very good growth phase and we want to be part of the growth," he said, adding their proximity to the John C. Munro-Hamilton International Airport also bodes well for business.
Kothari said they don't expect to have any trouble finding guests, adding most hotel rooms in the city are booked in the middle of the week.
"Business travellers are staying outside Hamilton," he said.
"There's a need for an extended stay type of product in this area," Dharamshi noted.
Right now, the hotel site is hidden behind Shoeless Joe's on Upper James, but Dharamshi said that's not an issue for them.
"In this day and age that drive-by traffic is not as much in hotels in general," she said. "Once you do go up four storeys, you can see it from the highway."
Sharon Murphy, acting manager of tourism events for the City of Hamilton, said more hotel rooms means more events for the city.
"This assists Tourism Hamilton with pursuing larger sports events, conventions and meetings," she said. "With all the development in the city, companies are looking for long-term stays for their guests."
Murphy said there are currently 1,664 hotel rooms in Hamilton and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott plus three other new hotels being built downtown and, on the Mountain, will add another 513 hotel rooms in the next few years.
Murphy said she's already spoken to TownePlace officials about setting aside a block of rooms for the 2021 Grey Cup that Hamilton is hosting.
"They will not sit vacant, they are needed," Murphy said.
by Mark Newman
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9...lton-mountain/