Mr. John Q. Hammons Expands Plans with Two Upscale Hotels and Convention Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah
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Mr. John Q. Hammons Expands Plans with Two Upscale Hotels and Convention Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah
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Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2007-01-10
At a press conference today, Mr. John Q. Hammons announced his expanded vision for developing 520 hotel rooms and more than 100,000 combined square feet of flexible meeting space in burgeoning Pleasant Grove, Utah, about a half-hour’s drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. Mr. Hammons recapped his plans to build a 10-story, 300-suite Embassy Suites Hotel® along with an adjoining convention center. He also added a new dimension to development plans with his announcement to build a 10-story, 220-room Courtyard® by Marriott®. The first development of its kind in the city, the hotels and convention center will be owned by Mr. Hammons, and they will be managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC, the nation’s leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites (www.jqhhotels.com).
Construction of the all-suite, luxury Embassy Suites Hotel and the convention center is expected to kick off in June 2007 with an anticipated opening in October 2008. The groundbreaking for the Courtyard by Marriott is slated for 2008 followed by a 2009 debut. Once operational, the facilities are expected to create the equivalent of 350 to 400 full-time jobs.
Strategically located in Utah County (pop. approx. 415,000) at what is being touted as the area’s $350 million intersection(a), the development is a short distance from major cities, including Salt Lake City (downtown 28 minutes), and will be an ideal lodging choice for group, business and leisure travelers. The hotels and convention center will also be easily accessible from Brigham Young University (12 minutes) and Utah Valley State College (eight minutes), comprising a combined student population of more than 70,000. In addition to Salt Lake City International Airport, the site is in close proximity to the Provo Airport. The development also is near major business hubs and popular ski destinations, such as Alta and Snowbird Ski areas (35 minutes), Park City Ski area (40 minutes), and Sundance Ski area (25 minutes). Located nearby are several large corporate demand generators such as Novell, Nu Skin, Altiris and IM Flash.
In a 2006 special report on “The Best States for Business,” Forbes magazine ranked Utah #4. The significant hotel and convention center development represents Mr. Hammons’ entrée into Utah.
“The time is right to build upscale accommodations to meet the demand of the impressive growth being experienced by Utah County. We foresee that growth continuing and requiring an additional hotel property beyond our initial plans,” said Mr. Hammons, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC. “The John Q. Hammons brand is known for exceeding guests’ expectations. We will leverage the breath-taking mountain landscape and four-season recreation environment afforded by the area to complement the overall guest experience.”
Combined, the hotel and convention center development spans 37 acres at the base of Mount Timpanogos, offering panoramic mountain views from every angle. Conveniently located in the southeast quadrant of the intersection of I-15 and Pleasant Grove Boulevard, the hotel site is adjacent to a planned 1 million-square-foot lifestyle center. The future upscale shopping destination will provide a mix of entertainment, restaurants and national and local retailers for the community and tourists of the area ski resorts. The anchor tenants have yet to be announced.
“We share Mr. Hammons’ vision for the amazing growth potential of the area and believe his 49 years in hotel development and his world-renowned track record will benefit the entire county,” said Mayor Michael Daniels, city of Pleasant Grove.
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