Four Points by Sheraton opened this week in the Christiana area near Routes 273 and Old Baltimore Pike.
The mid-priced hotel, located south of Newark, is at the site of a former Comfort Suites hotel that closed a few years ago. Rooms were being offered on the hotel’s website starting at $109 a night.
Other hotel chains have been rolling out their versions of the concept, one example being the Hilton Garden Inn.
The hotel was completely refitted, with additional floors added to the building. The complex now has 120 rooms, as well as a spa, meeting spaces and spa with massages. Not mentioned is a pool, a popular feature at the Comfort property. Contractor was Bancroft Construction Co., Wilmington.
Also featured will be a bistro that according to the website “uses a creative farm-to-fork approach for American classics. Healthy breakfast options include yogurts, fruits, and granolas. Steaks and daily catches are served at lunch and dinner.”
The restaurant and lounge, which will feature specialty drinks and craft beer Is known as Farm-A-Sea.
The hotel is part of concept that targets customers looking for more amenities than limited service brands like Hampton Inn. Hampton profited from offering a growing array of breakfast items in a self-service format.
Other amenities at Four Points include high speed internet access flat screen TV, mini-refrigerator and sleeper sofa in most rooms for extra guests.
The opening comes as the hotel industry recovers from a steep recession.
The better times have resulted in a mini-boom in new hotels in the past several months, with the lodging side of Buccini/Pollin Group opening a new Westin Hotel adjacent to the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, and a new Hampton Inn in the Stanton-Christiana area, a short distance from the Four Points.
At the same time, existing hotels, such as the Double Tree by Wyndham properties in downtown Wilmington and north Wilmington have been sold at premium prices in the past couple of years.
The hotel is managed by Real Hospitality Group, Ocean City, Md.
Real announced several new deals, representing a 25.9 percent growth in guest room inventory. Included in the portfolio growth are hotels at Marriott, Starwood Hotels and Resorts (Sheraton), Hilton and Carlson.
New managed properties included hotels in Syracuse, Newark and Rehoboth Beach, as well as five more locations in the Financial District of downtown Manhattan in New York City.
