Twickenham Square Hotel Announced

A rendering of the new Homewood Suites, looking north from Gallatin. (Rendering credit: Chapman Sisson Architects)

Homewood Suites, a Hilton brand extended-stay hotel chain, will construct a 101-suite hotel at the Twickenham Square project, also known as the Councill Court redevelopment site. The four-story, $11.5 million building will be built on Gallatin between Lowe and St. Clair. Construction is expected to begin this fall, and the hotel is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2013. PHD Hotels of Auburn is the developer, along with Huntsville's Triad Properties.

In addition to the advantages of having another hotel downtown, this particular site is especially ideal for an extended-stay chain because it's within walking distance of Huntsville Hospital, making it appealing for patients' families who may need longer-term stays-- their closest options for such accommodations right now are on University Drive. Having a Publix grocery store down the street will make the hotel even more appealing for extended-stay guests.

This hotel project is not new territory, neither for Huntsville nor Homewood. The first Homewood Suites in Huntsville, located in Providence, is situated in a similar mixed-use environment to what is proposed at Twickenham Square. The design of that hotel and its surroundings were highlighted recently on Better! Cities and Towns, a planning blog.