A new $35 million hotel in Tecumseh is now open.
TownePlace Suites by Marriott is accepting guests at the new hotel just off Sylvestre Drive, on the south side of County Road 22, in an area between Lesperance Road and Manning Road.
The 142-room extended-stay hotel features large suites with fully equipped kitchens, dedicated workspaces, and separate areas for living, working, and sleeping, as it's designed to cater toward relocating families, corporate project teams, sports groups, and weekend visitors.
President of the Petcon Hospitality Group Davide Petretta says there was a need for this type of hotel given some of the large infrastructure projects.
"We expect for the next five years or so for sure, not only the {NextStar Energy EV} battery plant and the new Fancsy mega hospital, but there's also going to be a lot of out-of-town contractors are going to be here," he says. "We're also appealing to a lot of local businesses, some of the people that are working in the tool or manufacturing sector that are staying for an extended period of time."
Around 65 people have already been hired to work at the hotel, but it's expected the staff levels will be increased to around 80 to 100 people in the future.
The hotel also features pet-friendly accommodations, an indoor heated pool, and a 24/7 fitness centre.
Petretta says there is also a whisky bar called Treaty and Oak on the ground level within the property that will be open to guests and locals.
"Aside from that, we are building within the same property a multi-unit commercial plaza. So, as that entire area grows, we're going to extend that Westlake Drive, and then we're going to expect to fill some of the other commercial uses with restaurants and other things," he says.
Petcon Hospitality Group is also behind the nearby Holiday Inn off Amy Croft Drive in Lakeshore.
Petretta says while they are focused on extended-stay guests, they've learned something from their Holiday Inn property.
"There are a lot of people coming in for family events and for hockey tournaments. So while we're getting this business traffic during the week, the weekends seem to be full as well with all that leisure traffic. Windsor-Essex County should be proud of all the tourism that's happening and people who are coming here," he says.
TownePlace Suites Tecumseh Windsor is professionally managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts.
Along with the hotel, Petcon Realty Corp. is also constructing an apartment building on property near the hotel that once finished will have 332 total units.