InterMountain Management to Open 112-room TownePlace Suites in Fort Walton Beach, Florida Next Month

July 22–FORT WALTON BEACH — Major construction is finished. The paint is dry. Furniture has been delivered.

The first TownePlace Suites in Northwest Florida is scheduled to open Aug. 15.

“Fort Walton Beach is going to have the newest and best representative of the Marriott brand right here at the foot of the Shalimar bridge,” said John Birr, general manager of the TownePlace Suites.

Birr said most of the hotel’s 25 to 30 staff members have already been hired. However, the hotel is still looking for some maintenance, housekeeping and laundry staff. To apply for those positions, go to the hotel and fill out an application.

InterMountain Management, a Louisiana-based hospitality development and management company, is building the new Marriott TownePlace Suites across the street from Eglin Federal Credit Union on Eglin Parkway.

“We’re getting ready to turn it over to operations to get the hotel ready to open,” said Karen Lewis, opening support manager for InterMountain Management. “Construction will be through this week, and then our operations team takes over and actually readies the hotel for opening.”

Although the hotel is opening Aug. 15, Birr said the grand opening celebration would likely be held in late September or early October to give his staff time to become comfortable in their roles.

Birr said the contractor is now finishing the hotel’s exterior, installing the landscaping, completing work on the swimming pool and laying asphalt in the parking lot. The large TownePlace Suites sign, which is sitting along Eglin Parkway now, is expected to be installed later this week.

TownePlace Suites is an extended stay hotel chain created by Marriott with units that include one or two bedrooms, kitchens and work and sitting areas. The hotel also will feature a public breakfast space, a large exercise area and a meeting room large enough to seat 30 people.

Construction on the 112-room hotel started last summer.

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.