LOCAL - New extended-stay hotel planned for Normal, IL

New extended-stay hotel planned - Pantagraph Article by Mary Ann Ford NORMAL — Workers in the Twin Cities for a few weeks, a month or even a year will have another housing option by next spring. Ehrhardt Hospitality of Hannibal, Mo., expects to start building a four-story, 110-unit Candlewood Suites at 203 Susan Drive this week. The property is on the northwest corner of land behind the strip mall that is home to Borders Books, Dick’s Sporting Goods and World Market. Franchise owner Spike Ehrhardt said construction should be completed by March."It’s designed for the business traveler who needs (housing) for a week, a month or anything under a year," Ehrhardt said. He said his company was attracted to the Twin Cities because so many companies, including State Farm Insurance Cos., Mitsubishi Motors North America and local hospitals, bring in workers for less than a year. Candlewood, a division of InterContinental Hotels, offers discounts for stays over three days, he said. The longer the stay, the bigger the discount. Ehrhardt said each of the 500-square-foot suites includes a kitchenette with appliances and dishes, a living room and a bedroom. The extended-stay hotel also has a convenience store called the Cupboard, which sells a variety of grocery items. "You can get a Coke for 25 cents," Ehrhardt said. "All items are reasonably priced." The hotel also will have an exercise room, a meeting room and a business center, he said. Ehrhardt said Candlewood Suites is a fairly new product of InterContinental Hotels, which has seven brands including InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Indigo and Staybridge Suites. Ehrhardt Hospitality, which includes Ehrhardt’s son, Scott, and son-in-law, Kevin Wiley, has built four Candlewood Suites in Missouri and Oklahoma.The hotel offers a priority club that gives rewards for frequent hotel guests, Ehrhardt said. He expects to hire about 15 workers, eight full-time and seven part-time. New extended-stay hotel planned - Pantagraph Article by Mary Ann Ford mford@pantagraph.com If you enjoyed this post, subscribe and get FREE updates! Appraisal , Real Estate , Bloomington , McLean , Illinois