In July 2012, Glenn Goerke, Senior Director of Development and Steve Crabill, Vice President and Managing Director Development at Hilton Worldwide, parent company to the Hampton Inn Hotels brand, traveled to Orange Beach, Ala. from Atlanta, Ga. to present a Deal of the Year Award to Innisfree Hotels’ CEO and Founder Julian MacQueen.
Innisfree was proud to accept this distinguished worldwide brand award for the development of the Hampton Inn & Suites in Orange Beach, Ala. The Hampton Inn brand portfolio includes more than 1,800 hotels worldwide and was designated as the leading hotel brand in the world by Franchise Times Magazine in 2011.
The construction of this state-of-the-art 160-room hotel cost $31 million to build and the project was distinguished by its ‘fast-track construction’ schedule. Rich Chism, Innisfree’s Director of Development, says, “One of the most interesting things about this project was the speed at which we moved from conception to opening. We were laying the foundation before we had completed the design. It was an exciting, dynamic process facilitated by the cooperation of the City of Orange Beach.”
The hotel was constructed by Robins and Morton, a 65-year-old construction and engineering company that consistently ranks among the 100 largest U.S. builders in the United States. This was the second hotel Robins and Morton built for Innisfree Hotels and the two companies are currently constructing a third project; building a Hyatt Place Hotel at the Pensacola International Airport. Project architect was Istvan Peteranecz AIA of Behar Peteranecz Architecture.
The Hampton Inn & Suites in Orange Beach has several notable design features, including the bright orange exterior and visually vibrant interior design. The bright colors were chosen because they speak to the name Orange Beach but also because they promote a guest experience in keeping with Innisfree’s corporate motto of “providing fun and memorable experiences.” Exceptional hotel amenities include a beachfront zero entry pool, 3,700 square feet of Gulf front meeting space and a fitness room that overlooks the beach.
This is the second brand level development award Innisfree Hotels has received this year. Last year, they were selected by Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG owns 4,400 hotels under 7 brands) to receive a Developer of the Year award for the Holiday Inn Resort on Pensacola Beach in 2011. Julian MacQueen, CEO and founder of Innisfree, accepted the award at the IHG Americas Investors and Leadership Conference held on October 26, 2011, at the Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas.
Mr. MacQueen says, “It is an incredible honor to receive two major brand development awards in a 24-month period. The creativity to pull off this size deal during these most uncertain times came though a collective effort between Bibb Lamar, Bruce Finley, and the entire board at BankTrust of Mobile and Innisfree Hotel’s development team. I could not be any more proud to be part of this beautiful product.”
Bruce Finley Executive Vice President and Senior Load Officer at BankTrust Financial Group says, “BankTrust is very pleased with the way the project turned out. The folks at Innisfree are professional and a pleasure to work with.”