Dec. 13–Boca Raton's first downtown hotel — the 200-room Hyatt Place Boca Raton/Downtown– is welcoming its first guests.

The Hyatt Place Boca's room offerings include 17 suites. The onsite amenities include a fitness center, rooftop pool and terrace, lobby bar, a Coffee-to-Cocktails bar and snack counter, and 4,000 square feet of flexible meeting and function space.

The hotel opened for business Tuesday. A grand openng is planned for Jan. 11. By mid-January, a Louie Bossi Restaurant is slated to open, in time for its official grand opening, said Audra Durham, director of sales.

Introductory rates for the Hyatt Place Boca start at $159 per night, noted Durham. Guest parking in the hotel's 200-space parking garage is an extra $19 per day.

"The business mix of room sales is expected to be about 50 percent corporate, 30 percent group and the rest leisure," Durham said during a tour of the property.

Developer Kolter Group of West Palm Beach had originally projected an opening for August or September after breaking ground on the new hotel at 100 E. Palmetto Park Road in May 2015. But rainy weather and site preparations for a possible strike by Hurricane Matthew led to construction delays.

"We probably lost about three or four weeks because of the hurricane, not because of damage," said James Hansen, vice president sales for Kolter Hospitality, the developer's hotel management and operations arm. He said it took a considable amount of time to dismantle and remove equipment ahead of the storm, and then reassemble it after Matthew brushed past South Florida.

Kolter Hospitality also operates the Hyatt Place West Palm Beach, Hyatt Place Delray Beach and Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale 17th Street Convention Center.

The Boca hotel was built by general contractor Kast Construction of West Palm Beach.

Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels Corp. launched its Hyatt Place brand in 2006. The hotels are designed to appeal to the 24/7 multitasking traveler, and offer large guest rooms with sofa sleepers, free Wi-Fi and a free hotel breakfast.

"We are so excited to open the doors of the Hyatt Place Boca Raton and show off what is going to be the coolest hotel in the city," said Scott Webb, president of Kolter Hospitality, the hotel's operator. in a statement Tuesday. "We acquired the most coveted location in Boca and have built a stunning hotel located in the center of this booming downtown."

For information on Hyatt Place Boca, visit bocaraton.place.hyatt.com.