A new $11.5 million Hampton Inn is slated for Leeds to cater to visitors of Barber Motorsports Park, Bass Pro Shops and a planned outlet mall. Birmingham’s Jackson Hospitality Services will develop and manage the four-story, 106-room hotel, sporting a prototype design for the Hampton Inn chain. The hotel will be built on a site directly across the road from the main entrance of the new Bass Pro Shops store, which is set to open in November.
“We think it will become the hottest hotel spot in Alabama as things develop out there,” said Corey Jackson Jr., president of Jackson Hospitality. In addition to a 60-seat meeting room and a swimming pool, the hotel will have features of the new Hampton Inn design such as a boutique-style lobby with lounge seating, a modern exercise room and a new breakfast area.
Barber Motorsports Park officials have been vocal about their hope for hotel space catering to visitors to the racetrack, museum and Porsche driving school there. Neal Jackson, vice president of Jackson Hospitality, said the company originally wanted to develop a hotel inside the Barber Motorsports property. When that wasn’t in keeping with the park’s plans, officials at Barber worked with Jackson Hospitality to steer them to a nearby site.
“We see this as a showcase project to go along with the Bass Pro development and the rest of what is to come,” Neal Jackson said. Work on the hotel will begin this year and should be completed by late 2009 or early 2010.
For the complete article see the Birmingham News: http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1218788156235470.xml&coll=2
Your Town Alabama
Designing Alabama's Future