Fairfield Inn & Suites - West Bloomington

Fairfield Inn & Suites eyes west side location By Scott Miller scottmiller@pantagraph.com BLOOMINGTON - A $4.5 million Fairfield Inn & Suites could be the next major development on Bloomington's growing west side. City officials are reviewing plans for the hotel at 1014 Wylie Drive, near the Crossroads Shopping Center, Wal-Mart, several restaurants and four other hotels - Wingate Inn, Hampton Inn, Country Inn & Suites and Ramada Limited. "We hope it's going to be good for the town because of the growing (west) side and the opening of the U.S. Cellular Coliseum," said developer Sam Patel, who would own the hotel with his brother, Raj Patel, and cousin Andy Patel. The Patels, who also own and operate the Days Inn in Bloomington, purchased around 80,000 square feet of vacant land at Wylie and Bettis drives and are awaiting approval from the city to begin construction. They hope to break ground in late March or early April and open the hotel next February or March, Sam Patel said. Preliminary plans show a three-story, 40,000- to 45,000-square-foot hotel with 75 rooms, including some king-size suites with Jacuzzis, an indoor pool, a business center, a small library for business travelers, a fitness area and high-speed Internet access, he said. The Twin Cities' former Fairfield Inn, at 202 Landmark Drive, Normal, became a Days Inn last year during a major renovation by another Patel family. While the two Patel families aren't related, they became close friends while living in India, Sam Patel said. Since Wal-Mart decided to open a store in west Bloomington in 2000, new development has been popping up along West Market Street, including National City Bank, Westfield Plaza and the Bloomington Shopping Center