John Q. Hammons opens Embassy Suites Norman - Hotel & Conference center in Oklahoma with an impressive 2009 on the books (United States)
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John Q. Hammons opens Embassy Suites Norman - Hotel & Conference center in Oklahoma with an impressive 2009 on the books (United States)
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Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands - United States - Industry economy -
Hotel opening
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2008-10-17
Mr. John Q. Hammons’ 10-story, 283-suite Embassy Suites® Norman – Hotel & Conference Center (www.embassysuitesnorman.com) debuted today at 2501 Conference Drive in Norman, Okla., with $3 million in pre-opening sales, reflecting strong demand. The luxury hotel and adjacent conference center are owned by Mr. Hammons and managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, the nation’s leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites (www.jqhhotels.com).
To celebrate the hotel’s opening, staff participated in a special tree dedication and plaque ceremony and also contributed to a time capsule filled with mementos related to their experiences with the hotel development. A ribbon-cutting ceremony with community dignitaries is scheduled for the afternoon of October 21, followed by a formal, ticketed grand opening event in early December with net proceeds benefiting United Way.
“Norman represents a compelling opportunity with several indicators for future growth that mandate quality hotel and meeting accommodations to help foster that growth,” said Mr. Hammons, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. “We’re helping to build a community people are drawn to; it’s what we do best.”
Located at I-35 at the new University North Park retail, entertainment and commercial development, the contemporary-designed property is five minutes from the University of Oklahoma, which enrolls nearly 30,000 students on its three campuses in Oklahoma. The upscale facilities of the first Embassy Suites in the city of Norman and adjacent conference center represent 80,000 gross square feet of combined, flexible meeting space and can easily accommodate groups with as many as 2,900 guests.
According to General Manager Jim Rickards, the local and regional communities have enthusiastically embraced the new property. “We’re experiencing tremendous attention from associations, corporations and the university, as reflected by our strong pre-opening sales that run through 2009. In addition, we’ve found great talent from the area to help fill the 200 positions our facilities require in providing exceptional service.”
The addition of the Norman development to John Q. Hammons’ growing national hotel and meeting space portfolio makes five properties in Oklahoma, including three in Oklahoma City and one in Tulsa. The property also represents Mr. Hammons’ fourth hotel debut in 2008 with one more slated to open this year.
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