Home2 Suites by Hilton Downtown Jacksonville

100 rooms Proposed $17 million Developer: Corner Lot Development Group/Kelco Management and Development Management: Kelco Management and Development

DDRB conceptual design approval with conditions was recently granted for a Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel proposed by Kelco Management & Development and Corner Lot Development Group. While the DDRB would like to see the 6-story, 10,720 square foot hotel built, the hotel’s facade was described as being too suburban for its proposed location in Brooklyn at 600 Park Street.

This is not the first time a municipality has raised concerns about the design of a Home2 Suites in an urban location. A similar sized hotel that opened in 2018 in Downtown Columbus, OH had to overcome concerns about having a generic look.

Commission members had several concerns about the proposed hotel, including the size of the windows and its generic look. Member Robert Loversidge said the design “looks like it belongs at the airport.”

Stephen Wittmann, who chairs the commission, said, “It looks a little like a cheap product.

“The windows look very, very small,” he said. “I think this building needs help.”

The developer will come back with new designs.

Wittmann said after the meeting that the commission would rather see masonry and brick on the building than stucco or other materials.

As a result, the Downtown Columbus project was revised to feature a brick veneer facade. With this in mind, here are seven similar Home2 Suite by Hilton hotels recently completed in various downtowns across the country. All include surface parking and trademark Home2 Suites by Hilton amenities such as inviting communal spaces, Spin2 Cycle, a combined laundry and fitness area, Home2 MKT for grab-and-go items, and the Inspired Table, a complimentary daily breakfast that includes more than 400 potential combinations. They also aren’t included in markets like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City, which aren’t comparable to Downtown Jacksonville.

Let us know what you think about these projects and if you’d prefer the look of one of them as opposed to what’s currently proposed for Downtown Jacksonville.

Home2 Suites by Hilton Columbus Downtown

104 rooms January 2018 Developer: Northstar Realty of Columbus Management: Alliance Hospitality (Witness Group) of Lewis Center

Home2 Suites by Hilton Kansas City Downtown

114 rooms December 2017 $20 million Developer: Sunflower Development Group Management: True North Hotel Group, LLC.

Home2 Suites by Hilton Eugene Downtown University Area

120 rooms November 2016 Developer: Eugene Hotel Ownership LLC Management: Widewaters Eugene Hotel Management Company LLC

Home2 Suites by Hilton Louisville Downtown NuLu/Medical District

100 rooms October 2017 Developer: Weyland Ventures of Louisville/First Hospitality Group Management: First Hospitality Group

Home2 Suites by Hilton Greenville Downtown

117 rooms November 2016 Developer: Sycamore Investment Group Management: Sycamore Investment Group

Home2 Suites by Hilton Tuscaloosa Downtown University Boulevard

113 rooms April 2015 $13 million Developer: Vista Host Management: Vista Host

Home2 Suites by Hilton Dallas Downtown at Baylor Scott & White

132 rooms October 2017 Developer: Gatehouse Capital Management: Aimbridge Hospitality

Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com. Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel images courtesy of Google Streetview.