Next month, guests will have a new hotel in Upper Macungie Township that caters to corporate travelers and families.
Construction of the 114-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is nearly complete. The $13 million project should open Jan. 23, said Natalie Blumberg, director of sales for Fairfield Inn & Suites Allentown West.
H&H Construction Companies of Wyomissing is building the site and finishing work throughout the four-story building.
The hotel, at 208 Route 100, will operate as a Marriott franchise owned and operated by Star Hospitality Group, a hospitality management company based in New York City, with an office in Upper Macungie Township.
The management company described the design as “modern calm,” and Blumberg noted that it blends the modern look with a rural, “farm feel.” Throughout the hotel, designs incorporate farm wood with metal and gray finishes. Corporate guests and millennials like the modern features, she said.
The lobby will include a farmhouse table for gathering and a market that sells food items and refreshments, including beer and wine. Though the hotel will not have a bar, Marriott is in talks with local businesses such as Vynecrest Winery in Breinigsville about carrying its brand, Blumberg said.
“We’d like to showcase the local wineries,” Blumberg said.
The hotel also offers a conference center and a smaller meeting space as well as a pre-function area outside the conference center for additional meeting space, she said. With three meeting rooms, the hotel offers a combined meeting space of slightly more than 3,000 square feet.
The hotel offers guests a free hot breakfast in a room that connects to the conference center, which can seat a maximum of 150 people.
While the hotel focuses on corporate travelers during the week, the weekends cater to families and sports teams, she added.
One of the highlights is a pool with a giant slide similar to what one could find in a waterpark. The large red spiral structure gives swimmers the chance to slide down to land in a flat pool of water near the main pool area. Large glass windows make the slide visible from Route 100. The only other Marriott hotel with this type of slide is in Canada, Blumberg said.
Adjacent to the pool is a fitness center with large windows that look out onto a patio area for guests to relax.
The hotel’s location offers a strong attraction for the business community, according to Blumberg.
“There are six corporate parks around here,” Blumberg said. We are getting business from Amazon, Nestle, Buckeye Partners, Broadcom. We are confident that this ultra-luxury Marriott brand will create an attractive new hospitality experience.”
Other corporate clients with signed agreements for business include Air Products and Chemicals, Bimbo Bakeries and Selective Insurance, she said.
Another feature the hotel offers guests is the ability to stream their own shows from such services as Netflix and Hulu on the 55-inch screen televisions mounted on the walls in each room.
The architect is Denver Architects, and Kelley Jorge is the general manager.
Construction began in August 2016.
