78-room hotel planned for Jasper's south side

IPD Hospitality — based in Suwanee, Georgia — was hired by owner K3 Investments to manage construction of the three-story, 78-room hotel. K3 Investments also owns Jasper’s Holiday Inn Express and the Comfort Inn in Ferdinand.

The new hotel will have an indoor pool, fitness center and extra amenities such as wireless internet, microwaves and refrigerators in the rooms.

Tornese did not have an estimated cost for the project, but said ground has already been broken.

Just last week, General Hotels announced that Marriott International, Inc. has approved a franchise for an 80-room Fairfield Inn & Suites for the River Centre development on the north side of Jasper’s riverfront. The hotel will be constructed in the former Jasper Cabinet’s block kiln building and will be an $8 million dollar investment in Jasper.

Earlier last week, owners of Jasper’s Hampton Inn, which is located next to the Schnitzelbank Restaurant, told The Herald about a nearly $8 million overhaul of that hotel. Seventeen rooms will be added to the back of the hotel during the first phase of the project, which has already begun and is expected to wrap up this fall. The second phase, which will begin immediately after, will include refurbishing the remaining 73 rooms, lobby, exterior and other parts of the building.

The hotel will remain open during construction, which is expected to be completed by this time next year. Once completed, the hotel will have 90 rooms.

The Jasper Inn is also undergoing a complete remodel, with a new lobby, new pool and renovated rooms. The dome portion and one wing of rooms at the hotel will be torn down. Owner Gagan Basra says renovations are expected to be complete by mid-May. The hotel will go from 202 rooms to 68 rooms.

Basra is waiting to hear back about a new franchise for the hotel. The new name and franchise will be announced at a later date.