Hammons Hotels breaks ground on Tennessee project

The planned 10-story, 283-suite hotel and 80,000-square-foot conference center will be owned by John Q. Hammons and managed by Springfield-based Hammons Hotels. After opening in spring 2008, the hotel and center are expected to create 125 jobs in the area and contribute more than $23 million in revenue to the Rutherford County economy each year, according to a Hammons news release.

“Murfreesboro is an ideal site for a state-of-the-art conference center and upscale hotel because of its proximity to Middle Tennessee State University, major business hubs, airports and important highways,” Hammons said in the release.

Nearby business hubs include Nissan, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, General Mills, Cumberland Swan, State Farm Insurance, Verizon and Whirlpool. Rutherford County also is situated within 500 miles of 75 percent of the nation’s population centers.

Hammons is leasing the land for the development from the city. Located next to the project is a planned lifestyle center, “The Avenue Murfreesboro,” which will feature nearly 1 million square feet of restaurants and shops in an open-air setting, set to open in August.

Hotel amenities will include an open garden atrium with water trails, an Internet café, 24-hour room service, same-day dry cleaning, daily cooked-to-order breakfast, a fitness center, an indoor pool and a sundeck.

Each hotel suite will have a private bedroom, living room, two televisions, refrigerator, wet bar, microwave oven, two telephones with data ports, high-speed Internet access, desk and in-room safe. Select rooms also will have private covered balconies.[[In-content Ad]]