by Think Currituck, on 2/21/18 2:42 PM
New Study Highlights Positive Economic Impacts of Adding Accomodations
Currituck County commissioned a new market study to determine the feasibility of a hotel on the mainland. Hospitality industry experts from HVS recently presented county officials with a draft proposal that collects “hospitality intelligence” from our region. Their verdict? It’s time for a hotel.
After crunching the numbers from national and local industry data with county, state and regional demographics, the study showed that moving forward makes financial sense. To be clear, the role of HVS is only to create the report and offer industry guidance. They will not be building a hotel, and at this moment, there are no definite plans on a specific project.
But now that the viability of a mainland hotel is confirmed, the door is wide open for a developer.
According to the study, the best location for a future hotel development would be “somewhere near the border between the central and southern sections of the county.” HVS recommends a partnership with a mid-level lodging brand such as midscale, limited-service property, such as a Tru by Hilton, Avid by Intercontinental Hotels Group, or Best Western Hotels & Resorts SureStay Collection.
The study points out that a mainland hotel will provide an alternative for county visitors who, in the past, had to stay in nearby areas such as Elizabeth City or Chesapeake. It will be a welcome addition for athletic tournament visitors to the Maple Park facilities and attendees of events at the Cooperative Extension Center and the Currituck County Rural Center.
And it will give seasonal visitors an alternative to staying on the Outer Banks and also help support the mainland tourism corridor which got a boost last year with the addition of the H2OBX Waterpark.
