Two New Hotels Headed to Downtown Biloxi
Biloxi is saying “out with the old and in with the new.” More than ten years after Hurricane Katrina, the old Santa Maria Del Mar retirement home is transforming into a brand new hotel. But that’s just half of it, News 25’s Kristen Durand shows us not one but two new hotels checking into the city of Biloxi.
The old Santa Maria Del Mar retirement home in Biloxi has been a standing eyesore in the city’s downtown area since it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. City of Biloxi Public Affairs Manager Vincent Creel said, “It was on the city’s blighted list. There were a number of properties that the city had cleaned up and had been languishing since Hurricane Katrina and this was one of the last ones.”
Now, it’s being transformed into a brand new hotel. “It’s going to add a lot to the non-casino hotel inventory that we have here in Biloxi and that’s important for that sector of our tourism audience that doesn’t want to go to a casino hotel,” said Creel.
Indoor demolition is underway and officials say it should be ready for new construction come January but we’ll have to wait until then to find out exactly which hotel it will be. Mayor FoFo Gilich said, “It’s all wrapped with the development of the waterfront and the opportunities that will come with everything on the water winds.”
About two miles to the west, another big project, set at $11 million, is under construction, adding yet another hotel to the city. This one will be the Hyatt Place. “The Hyatt Place is going to be a 114 room luxury hotel. It’s an $11 million investment. The developers have not given a date yet on when they’re going to open but you can see it coming up every day,” said Creel.
The two new hotels are part of the $715 million wish list of economic development the city has in mind for the future.
The old Santa Maria Del Mar retirement home in Biloxi has been a standing eyesore in the city’s downtown area since it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. City of Biloxi Public Affairs Manager Vincent Creel said, “It was on the city’s blighted list. There were a number of properties that the city had cleaned up and had been languishing since Hurricane Katrina and this was one of the last ones.”
Now, it’s being transformed into a brand new hotel. “It’s going to add a lot to the non-casino hotel inventory that we have here in Biloxi and that’s important for that sector of our tourism audience that doesn’t want to go to a casino hotel,” said Creel.
Indoor demolition is underway and officials say it should be ready for new construction come January but we’ll have to wait until then to find out exactly which hotel it will be. Mayor FoFo Gilich said, “It’s all wrapped with the development of the waterfront and the opportunities that will come with everything on the water winds.”
About two miles to the west, another big project, set at $11 million, is under construction, adding yet another hotel to the city. This one will be the Hyatt Place. “The Hyatt Place is going to be a 114 room luxury hotel. It’s an $11 million investment. The developers have not given a date yet on when they’re going to open but you can see it coming up every day,” said Creel.
The two new hotels are part of the $715 million wish list of economic development the city has in mind for the future.
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