Nov. 02–The Waterfront Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel, which is nearing completion in downtown Owensboro, is working on getting a number of certifications approved in December that would clear the way for the hotel to open earlier than the Owensboro Convention Center, its next-door neighbor, a hotel official said Friday.
Malcolm Bryant, president of the Malcolm Bryant Corp., the company that is building and will own and operate the $20 million hotel, said the hotel will still have an official grand opening with the convention center after both are open. The convention center is scheduled to be finished on Jan. 27 and be open for business two days later for an agriculture expo event. No firm date for the grand opening of the convention center has been set, however.
Bryant has said previously that a December opening of the hotel was targeted. But in a response to questions Friday, Bryant was not specific regarding when the hotel will open its doors to customers and guests. He said people are moving to Owensboro for a career with the hotel, and the company wants to be respectful of those families during the holidays.
“This and the quality of the finished product will be our ultimate deciding factors for when we open,” he said.
The latest news concerning the hotel came Thursday when commercial air carrier Cape Air, which carries passengers back and forth between the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport and St. Louis, said it plans to move its downtown Owensboro ticket office from its current location at the Creme Coffee Shop to the Waterfront Hampton Inn & Suites.
The new location is expected to open by early January, Cape Air announced.
“We’ve had a wonderful experience with the Creme Coffee Shop,” said Linda Fitzgerald, director of call center support at Cape Air. “However, our local ticket office also handles overflow from our corporate call center, and call volume has reached the point where we need our own space.”
The Waterfront Hampton Inn & Suites will be the first environmentally certified LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) hotel in Kentucky.
“Environmental sustainability is a top priority at Cape Air,” Linda Markham, president of Cape Air, said in a Cape Air news release. “We’re delighted that our new location will be located within such an environmentally friendly space.”
According to Cape Air, the new location in the hotel will be open to the public and will give customers the opportunity to book travel in person — rather than online or over the phone. Cape Air reservations agents will also be available to answer questions about the service.
“Having an on-site Cape Air location will be a great opportunity for guests to learn about the commercial air service available in Owensboro, and hopefully get them thinking about their next trip back,” Bryant said.
Other local vendors planning to open locations in the new hotel are the Lure Seafood Restaurant, Changes Spa and Salon and Blossom’s Boutique.
On Friday, Bryant said hotel employees are being trained and finish materials are arriving daily at the construction site.
“We have a tremendous spirit of ownership by all of our team at the hotel in quality and timeliness,” Bryant said.
Current work includes the installation of floor coverings. On Friday, earth moving equipment was grading and leveling dirt on the east half of the hotel’s parking lot on Second Street. Most of the west half of the parking lot already has a base layer of asphalt and is being used to store construction materials. Meanwhile, interior and exterior work on the building was continuing.
“The community is in a rhythm of expecting greatness and we are a large part of that expectation for the public and private investments,” Bryant said. “We are working very close with the Convention Center and have been extremely pleased with their personnel and wisdom.”
Steve Vied, 691-7297, svied@messenger-inquirer.com
