Hammons Hotels opens fifth Oklahoma property

Springfield-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts opened an Embassy Suites in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, and officials report $3 million in pre-opening sales.

The 10-story, 283-room hotel and conference center is Hammons Hotels' fifth Oklahoma property and fourth new hotel of 2008, with another slated to open before year's end, according to a news release.

The property has 80,000 square feet of combined meeting space that can accommodate up to 2,900 people, and it employs 200. It is located about five minutes from the University of Oklahoma on Interstate 35, in the new University North Park development that has retail, entertainment and commercial tenants.

"We're experiencing tremendous attention from associations, corporations and the university, as reflected by our strong pre-opening sales that run through 2009," hotel General Manager Jim Rickards said in the release.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new hotel is scheduled Oct. 21. A formal, ticketed grand opening event will be in early December, with proceeds benefiting United Way, the release said.[[In-content Ad]]