LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) — The hotel market in downtown Little Rock continues to grow. Arkansas Business reports that three groups are backing the latest hotel projects to hit downtown. The planned Aloft Hotel in the 12-story Boyle Building was announced more than 14 months ago and remains delayed. It’s led by the Chi Hotel Group, which paid more than $4 for the property. So far, the building has been gutted, but delays with renovations to buildings next door to the hotel have stopped work on the Aloft. There’s also plans by hotelier Feroz Patel for a hotel called Vib at 219 E. Sixth St. Patel acquired the site and adjoining land for $699,000 in July. And there’s plans for a 140-room Hilton Garden Inn at 322 Rock St. The $12.5 million project is led by the Pinnacle Hotel Group, and Chet Patel, its president, says he’s aiming for it to come online in spring next year. The Hilton will employ 50 and house nearly 4,000 square feet of meeting space, a full-service restaurant and bar, and a top-floor venue called Posh. The seven-story hotel would be the newest in downtown Little Rock since the Homewood Suites by Hilton opened June 2 at 400 River Market Ave. Clark Contractors LLC of Little Rock is building the Hilton Garden Inn it’s one of 11 hotel projects his company is working on. Seven are in Texas. CEO William Clark says there’s a national boom in hotel construction, as companies rush to meet demand for business travel. Locally, conventions and tourism are also driving hotel business. Last year marked the biggest booking season for the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau since 2006. Events coordinated with the bureau booked more than 137,000 room nights associated with nearly 500,000 attendees in 2015. In all, occupancy among eight existing downtown hotels, which includes the Wyndham Riverfront in North Little Rock, climbed to 71.3 percent in 2015. And the average daily room rate among the eight hotels rose as well, averaging $126 in 2015 compared with $123.75 in...
Learn MoreDowntown Little Rock Attracts More Hoteliers by George Waldon Downtown Little Rock has drawn the attention of three hotel developers who have invested more than $7.3 million to secure locations. The trio is poised to join an ascending hotel market powered by conventions, commerce and tourism. A 140-room Hilton Garden Inn project, championed by Little Rock’s Pinnacle Hotel Group, is positioned to be the first to come on line: spring 2017. “We’re hoping to have a show on the ground soon,” said Chet Patel, president of Pinnacle Hotel Group. The status of the other two projects, a 140-room Aloft and 100-room Vib (pronounced Vibe), is less clear. Clark Contractors LLC of Little Rock is prepared to start building the $12.5 million Hilton Garden Inn at 322 Rock St. Demolition of the vacant Rock Street Shops at 310-324 Rock St. will kick off site work. William Clark, CEO of Clark Contractors, said the Hilton Garden is among 11 hotel projects his company is working on. Seven are in Texas. “There’s a national boom going on with hotel construction,” Clark said. “Most of what we’ve been doing is associated with business travel. There’s a rush to build hotel rooms to capture the business segment.” The Hilton Garden Inn will employ 50 and house nearly 4,000 SF of meeting space and a full-service restaurant and bar on the ground floor named The Garden and a top-floor venue called Posh. The seven-story project represents the newest hotel in downtown Little Rock since the 116-room Homewood Suites by Hilton at 400 River Market Ave. opened on June 2. The Homewood project completed a quartet of downtown Little Rock developments by McKibbon Hotel Group Inc. of Gainesville, Ga. That roster includes the 120-room Marriott Courtyard, opened in 2004 at 521 President Clinton Ave.; the 119-room Hampton Inn & Suites, opened in 2008 at 320 River Market Ave.; and the 107-room Residence Inn, opened in 2013 at 219 River Market Ave. The McKibbon hotels account for half of a group of hotels labeled the core downtown Little Rock market. Occupancy among the eight hotels, which includes the Wyndham Riverfront in North Little Rock, climbed to 71.3 percent last year. Occupancy for the group stood at 68.8 percent in 2014. Rounding out the...
Learn MoreLittle Rock, AR – February 29, 2016 – Good luck to Katina Jones on her pursuit for Front of House Hospitality Employee of the Year — This award recognizes exemplary performance and exceptional service by an employee in a non-management position with regular customer contact. Honorees are judged on performance that goes above and beyond normal job responsibilities, including outstanding and unusual service to the business, to guests, or the community. This covers lodging, foodservice, travel and tourism, and associate members. The AHA’s Stars of the Industry Awards Gala honors employees and managers in the hospitality industry that go above and beyond their job descriptions to make their coworkers and customers feel privileged to know them. Some of them are on the front line, and some are behind the scenes, but they all help to make the industry in Arkansas the best in the nation. They are why the hospitality industry is the second largest industry in the state that provides over 100,000 jobs and brings over $5.6 billion to the state. Also honored at the Stars of the Industry are region of the year, hotelier of the year, restaurateur of the year and travel person of the year. A scholarship is also awarded to a hospitality student!...
Learn MorePinnacle Hotel Group City: Little Rock Category: Category III (76-300 Employees) Year: 2016 The Pinnacle Hotel Group was incorporated in 2007 when four friends with similar backgrounds and business interests joined forces to create a hotel management company second to none. Chet Patel met cousins Rocky and Shawn Govind at the University of Arkansas, where they became roommates. They were each children of Indian immigrants who owned and operated small motels in Arkansas. The three and Nick Nagin, who had a similar background in Mississippi, began working together in 2001. Their first major acquisition was the Country Inn & Suites in Fayetteville, which opened in 2003 and was rebranded as a Comfort Inn Suites in 2011. Today, Pinnacle Hotel Group owns nine properties in Arkansas. The newest, the LaQuinta Inn & Suites in Fayetteville, had its grand opening in January. Pinnacle Hotel Group has plans for a Hilton Garden Inn and a Holiday Inn Express in downtown Little Rock near the intersection of Fourth and Rock streets, Patel said. Patel, who was raised in Clarksville, is president of Pinnacle and serves as secretary of the Arkansas Hospitality Association. Rocky Govind of Pine Bluff is vice president of development and construction; Shawn Govind of Crossett is director of operations and real estate; and Nagin is director of procurement and purchasing. The Pinnacle Group, Patel said, is working to be at the forefront of the hotel and motel management industry. While all hotels and motels offer basically the same experience, Patel said, the goal of Pinnacle Hotel Group is to separate itself from the rest so the visitors will remember and want to return. Pinnacle Hotel Group works with the properties’ general managers to make sure their needs are met and they have time to do their...
Learn MoreHilton Garden Inn To Keep Reservation in Little Rock by Arkansas Business Staff Remember the Hilton Garden Inn coming to downtown Little Rock that we told you about two years ago? We understand that ground should be broken for the seven-story, 140-room project during the next 30 days. The original planned location was the northeast corner of Fourth and Cumberland streets, but that has changed. Where will the $22 million development take shape? Next door at the northwest corner of Fourth and Rock streets. The launch of construction will mark a one-year departure from the original timetable planned by Little Rock’s Pinnacle Hotel Group. Once envisioned to open in March 2016, the hotel is now expected to begin operations by March 2017. The hotel will employ 50 and house nearly 4,000 SF of meeting space and a full-service restaurant and bar on the ground floor named The Garden and a top-floor venue called...
Learn MoreFayetteville, AR – January 26, 2016 – Little Rock-based hotel development company Pinnacle Hotel Group celebrates the Ribbon Cutting of their 8th hotel with the Chamber of Commerce – Fayetteville.
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