Hawthorn Suites To Open in Rome, GA

ROME, GA— Battery Downtown, LLC plans to open a Hawthorn Suites Ltd at River Crossing this fall at 100-110 West 2nd Ave. as part of a multipurpose project that the group is developing on the Oostanaula River. Battery Downtown, LLC is comprised of seven partners, all natives of Rome, including Ira Levy, Charles Craton, Bryant Durham, Alan Greer, Jim Kelley, Steven Kemp and GH Riddle. The newly renovated hotel will be located on the three floors of a circa-1910 building, originally the home of Battery Machinery Co. The 36- to 38- suite hotel will feature large studio suites, one- and two-bedroom suites, all with full kitchens, and such in-room amenities as telephones with data ports and voicemail, expanded cable television with pay-per-view, HBO, CNN and ESPN. The hotel will offer a complimentary hot breakfast buffet as well as an evening social hour which will be catered by the Waterfront Bar & Grill, the historic restaurant connected to the Hawthorn and originally a boiler repair business for steamships going up the river. The lobby, 12 retail shops and fitness center will all be located on the main level. Newly renovated shopping, entertainment and office space, also part of River Crossing, will be within walking distance.