COLUMBIA, SC— Gateway Hospitality is in the process of developing a pair of hotels in the Southeast— a 63-room Microtel Inn and Suites in Cherokee, NC, and a Hampton Inn in Titusville, FL. It was noted Gateway Hospitality has joint-ventured with principal owner Jim Swofford of Tohema LLC to develop the North Carolina property and— following its completion and scheduled opening in June— is in line to manage the day-to-day operation of the site as well as handle its sales efforts. Located less than a half-mile from Harrah’s Casino on the Cherokee Reservations, the new hotel is to include in excess of a dozen suites, a business center, and a swimming pool. As such, it is designed to cater to both corporate and leisure guests… particularly price-conscious travelers visiting the nearby casino. Meanwhile, the Hampton Inn— owned by Sunshine Hotel Associates LLC— is on pace to open late this year. Situated some 11 miles from the Kennedy Space Center and next to the Cracker Barrel Restaurant, the state-of-the-art facility is primed to include a number of executive suites (fitted out with high-speed Internet access) as well as an on-site business center. The market for this particular property is seen as encompassing both corporate and leisure guests. According to President Clancy Cipkala, Gateway Hospitality began owning and managing hotels in 1995, and currently features involvement with more than a dozen lodging properties throughout the southeastern portion of the U.S. Additionally, he noted the company has immediate plans for the development— and acquisition— of another 10 hotels by 2005.
