The Exponent Telegram
November 21, 2013

By Jim Davis
STAFF WRITER

BRIDGEPORT – A $16 million, 109-suite hotel is planned for Charles Pointe, officials announced Wednesday.

The Homewood Suites Hotel will be a four-story, 78,000-square-foot facility on Genesis Boulevard across from the Fairmont Federal Credit Union, the officials said.

“What is really in demand in the area is a quality, upscale, all-suites hotel, so that’s what we decided to put in,” said John Miller, chief executive officer of the Morgantown-based Centurion Companies.

A groundbreaking is scheduled for spring, and the hotel should be ready to open the following spring.

Centurion Companies has acquired the land, and one of its subsidiaries, The Centurion Development Group, will develop the hotel, Miller said.

A second subsidiary, Centurion Hospitality Services, will manage the hotel, Miller said.

The starting average daily rate will be $149 and include a hot breakfast and, on weeknights, a hot dinner, he added.

Mills Group of Morgantown is the architect.

The hotel will feature double-king or double-queen suites, Miller said.

The suites will have full kitchens, complete will full-sized refrigerators, cooking surfaces and microwaves, Miller said.

Other amenities include meeting rooms, a business center, free Wi-Fi, limited concierge service, an indoor pool and spa, and indoor and outdoor fitness and recreational facilities.

Mark Dellana, with Charles Pointe developer Genesis Partners, said the hotel will provide extended-stay accommodations demanded by the growing cluster of workers in the area.

Those professional clusters include the FBI, education, health care, aviation and oil and gas, said Dellana, executive director of development.

“They work really hard, and they don’t want to have to go out to dinner,” Dellana said. “These full-service hotels will have a restaurant. They also will offer a bar area where you can kick back and relax.”

The hotel will include five distinct living and socializing areas: An arrival area; a lodge; guest suites; pool and spa; and outdoor space.

The arrival area will include a front porch with chairs, a lobby, business offices, guest services area and a convenience shop.

The lodge – which connects the arrival area to outdoor spaces – will include indoor and outdoor dining areas, a lounge, an outdoor kitchen and a patio with seating.

Bridgeport Mayor Mario Blount said the Homewood Suites Hotel will complement a second extended-stay hotel being built at White Oaks.

The presence of two such hotels within a mile of each other is an indication of the economic development taking place in the area, Blount said.

“It’s something that was needed,” Blount said. “The economic development of North Central West Virginia is what is driving these hotels.”

Charles Pointe is a 1,700-acre development that combines residential, retail, hospital and office use with amenities such as parks, trails and open space.