A small part of E. Pat Hall’s original vision for Carowinds as a Resort Destination is on the way. Originally reported by Ashley Fahey of the Charlotte Business Journal, a hotel is coming to Carowinds, and ground will be broken later this spring.
According to the CBJ, Carowinds confirmed that they will begin construction on a five-floor, 130-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel this spring on the northeast corner of Carowinds’ property.
Expected to break ground by the end of March, the hotel will be owned and operated by Carowinds as a Marriott franchise. It’s the first hotel that Carowinds will develop, though its parent company, Cedar Fair, owns four hotels; three in Sandusky, OH near Cedar Point: Hotel Breakers, Castaway Bay, and Breakers Express, and one in Buena Park, CA; the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel.
From Marriott’s website: SpringHill Suites by Marriott, the largest all-suites brand in the upscale tier, offers guests the little extras to help them enjoy their time away. Offering a fresh take on mixing business and pleasure, the brand allows travelers to expect the unexpected and indulge in the little things that make their trip more exciting. Featuring spacious and stylish suites, the well-designed room layouts allow guests to relax and re-energize.
The hotel will include suites as well as a pool, fitness center, small bar and an outdoor seating area with a fire pit, according to Lisa Stryker, director of communications at Carowinds. The SpringHill Suites is expected to open in the summer of 2019.
Stryker said there are no other confirmed plans for the remainder of the site and that Carowinds is “always considering the best use of land.” A conventional rezoning request last year rezoned the land to a light industrial zoning designation that permits a wide range of commercial uses.
The cost of the project was not disclosed, but Stryker said the hotel is part of the continued $50 million expansion plan for Carowinds that also includes renovations to the park’s Camp Snoopy area and 2016’s Carolina Harbor water park rebranding and expansion.
Pat Jones, general manager of Carowinds, said in a statement that providing a place for guests to stay is “the next step” in the park’s evolution.
Launched in 1998, SpringHill Suites currently has more than 380 locations in the United States and Canada. The hotel chain has been recognized for its award-winning marketing and has been named among the “Best Franchises in America” by Forbes, as well as by Parents’ Magazine as one of the “10 Best Hotels for Families.” The latter is the perfect tie-in with Carowinds’ recent focus on family options at the park.
We think the new SpringHill Suites is going to be a great addition for Carowinds. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!’
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