IHG® Army Hotels and Lendlease today announced the first phase opening of the new Candlewood Suites® on Fort Jackson – Lendlease and IHG® Army Hotels’ fourteenth Candlewood Suites hotel in the PAL portfolio.
The hotel was built using cross-laminated timber (CLT), which offers builders maximized strength and durability with added sustainability and conservation benefits; Lendlease and IHG® Army Hotels were the first to build a hotel out of CLT in the U.S., and Fort Jackson Candlewood Suites will be their fourth. In total, the West Building will be built with 5,203 black spruce CLT pieces. The first phase opening includes the West Building, comprising 171 rooms. This building is the latest example of the successful collaboration between the U.S. Army, Lendlease and IHG® Army Hotels, which has amassed a portfolio of hotels located on 40 U.S. military installations.
Keeping in mind the unique needs of today’s military travelers, the West Building is pet friendly and includes a variety of rooms with kitchenettes and amenities such as complimentary breakfast, laundry facilities, business center, and a fitness center. The 146-room East Building, slated to be completed in spring 2021, will also include a swimming pool, picnic gazebo, and Distinguished Visitors Quarters lounge.
Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, Lendlease and IHG Army Hotels have worked tirelessly to finish this phase of construction of the newest hotel developed under the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program.
Gretchen Turpen, SVP, Head of Lodging for Lendlease, commented: “This new Candlewood Suites is a welcomed replacement of a hotel at Fort Jackson that was past its prime and exemplifies the vast privatization by continual improvement of facilities, utilizing cutting edge building practices and materials such as CLT. We are proud to continue providing quality, cost-effective accommodations without government funding. The entire Lendlease and IHG Army Hotels teams have worked diligently to deliver this impressive hotel and we look forward to continuing to provide hotels that improve the quality of life of service members and their families in the years to come.”
The Candlewood Suites on Fort Jackson offers guests the same experience and hallmark amenities they have come to expect from this well-loved brand, including the Candlewood Cupboard®, where guests can purchase items, and the Lending Locker, which makes it easy to borrow household items and small appliances.
Chuck Sourbeer, Head of Operations, IHG Army Hotels commented: “IHG is honored to support the mission at Fort Jackson. With the addition of this new Candlewood Suites, we can better serve our military members and their families. I am very proud of our team and our partners at Lendlease coming together during this difficult time to deliver this amazing hotel. This is another example of the success of privatization and our mission to revitalize DoD lodging.”
Scott Chamberlain, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Housing and Partnerships commented: “I’d like to thank Lendlease and IHG for their continued dedication to delivering another tremendous hotel to ensure we are meeting the needs of our service members and families today. The PAL program is a great partnership between the Army, Lendlease and IHG and I look forward to ongoing success as we continue to meet the mission of the PAL program by improving the quality of life for service members and their families.”
Lendlease and IHG Army Hotels took over operations of Fort Jackson’s lodging in 2013. Lendlease is the owner, developer, design-builder and asset manager, and the exclusive developer for the Department of Defense’s only lodging privatization program. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is the hotel operator and manager of IHG Army Hotels.
IHG understands that cleanliness is top of mind for today’s traveler. The company’s longstanding commitment to rigorous cleaning procedures includes the IHG Way of Clean program developed with Ecolab and Diversey, both world leaders in hygiene and cleaning technologies. The program, launched in 2015, features deep cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants as well as new COVID-19 protocols and best practices, developed with experts from the Cleveland Clinic. Additionally, as a part of the IHG family of brands, IHG Army Hotels properties offer guests additional peace of mind with the IHG Clean Promise. Guests can be sure that their room will meet IHG’s high standards of cleanliness. If not, the hotel will make it right. Learn more about IHG’s new cleanliness initiatives and guest programs here.
