Luxury student apartments aren't the only kind of accommodations being built in Tallahassee. The Capital City is likewise seeing a rise in the number of hotel rooms coming online in the market.
At what used to be a Marriott property just off Capital Circle Northeast near HCA Capital Hospital, work crews are converting three ground floor bedrooms into a combined restaurant and bar.
The place has a new name: the "Alluxsuites at 1876," indicating the hotel's street address. It's the latest acquisition of the Edgewater Group, a hospitality development company founded by Ketan Vora.
"What attracted us to Tallahassee, and there are multiple different kinds of properties that we've had, is that it's diversified. So we're not relying on a single segment of demand. We can cater to multiple segments."
Even though the Alluxsuites rooms have full kitchens and spacious living areas along with either one or two bedrooms, Vora said the place isn't just for extended-stay guests.
"And we don't have to say you can only stay here for one or two weeks or a month or two months. You can stay for the night and it's okay. That flexibility allows us, with the food and beverage option, and gives the choice back to the guest."
The Alluxsuites 1876 is part of the Ascend Hotel Collection. Unlike so many big-name hotel chains in which one property looks very much like another, Vora said
Ascend's intent is to make each hotel distinctive.
"We're making it special by bringing Tallahassee into the property. With images, with employees that bring that care to the property. Bringing food and beverage so it's more of a wholesome property than just a place to go spend the night and sleep in a bedroom with."
The new Alluxsuites, slated to open in May, is by no means the only hotel new construction or renovation taking place in Tallahassee right now. All of this begs the question, does the city need more hotel rooms? Kerri Post, director of Visit Tallahassee, said the short answer is "yes."
"Right now, there is as demonstrated by the properties that are in development that this does show that we very much are in a growing market."
She said there are hard facts and figures to back this up.
"Local option tourism tax collections otherwise known as the bed tax that has been trending 3 to 4 percent up. Our rate of acceleration is declining. But we are still increasing. Our occupancy levels are increasing, supply keeps increasing as far as additional hotel rooms coming on line and we are still maintaining increased occupancy that just shows the strength of the demand."
Perhaps most significantly, said Post, Tallahassee just isn't the same place it used to be when it comes to the hotel business.
"A lot of people do think that tourism in Tallahassee is seasonal. And the fact is the data does not bear that out. We are in fact a year-round destination receiving approximately a quarter of our annual visitation in each quarter."
Which is just one more reason why the local pace of new hotel construction and old hotel renovation isn't likely to end anytime soon.
