The Hotel Indigo-Hattiesburg in Hattiesburg, Miss.
The South is known for its hospitality, which makes Southern cities an attractive destination for groups. Unfortunately, small and mid-sized Southern cities often lack the hotel stock of their Northern competitors. But that's changing thanks to several new hotel openings in second- and third-tier cities across the region.
One such opening is the Hotel Indigo-Hattiesburg in Hattiesburg, Miss., which opened on July 26 and is Mississippi's first and only Hotel Indigo, parent company InterContinental Hotels Group announced last week.
Located within walking distance of the University of Southern Mississippi, the new hotel has 100 guest rooms across five stories, as well as a business center, a fitness center, a restaurant/bar that was inspired by a 1930s railroad dining car, and a 144-square-foot meeting room for small groups of up to 12 people.
"All of the team is really excited to be a part of this, especially with it being the first one in the state," said General Manager Rhonda Cunningham. "This is such a beautiful hotel with custom-detailed work -- there's nothing else like it."
The custom work to which Cunningham alludes includes an interior design that reflects the culture, character and history of Hattiesburg, which is best known for its timber and rail industry.
"We have murals throughout that reflect the railroad and timber industry and are very artsy," Cunningham continued. "It's not your normal chain, box hotel. We've customized all the features and the décor. We're telling our neighborhood's story."
Here are four other hotels that have recently opened across the region with room for groups:
• Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront Hotel (Wilmington, N.C.): The Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront opened in December 2017 adjacent to the Wilmington Convention Center. Along with 186 guest suites, the hotel has business and fitness centers, an onsite coffee shop, an indoor heated pool, a rooftop bar, a riverfront restaurant and over 5,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Plus, nearby are historic downtown Wilmington; the USS North Carolina battleship, which is moored across from the hotel; boat tours along the Cape Fear River; and numerous antebellum mansions and Civil War Sites.
• Perry Lane Hotel (Savannah, Ga.): The Perry Lane Hotel is Marriott International's first Luxury Collection hotel in Savannah. The property, which debuted in June, is located near Savannah's famed Forsyth Park and was designed to mirror the aesthetic of Savannah's traditional manor houses. Along with 167 guest rooms -- including 12 suites -- the hotel has three food and beverage venues, an expansive art collection, and 8,900 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including a 3,000-square-foot glass-enclosed ballroom for groups of up to 200 people.
• The Drury Inn & Suites Huntsville at the Space & Rocket Center (Huntsville, Ala.): Scheduled to open Aug. 11, the Drury Inn & Suites Huntsville at the Space & Rocket Center is located near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. Along with 187 guest rooms, the property will offer free soda and popcorn, 24-hour business and fitness centers, an indoor pool and whirlpool, and more than 2,180 square feet of meeting and event space.
• The Stricklin Hotel (Florence, Ala.): Another new arrival in Alabama is The Stricklin Hotel in Florence, which opened its doors on July 20 in downtown Florence. Located in Florence's historic Stricklin Building, which dates back to 1946, the boutique hotel only has 24 guest rooms, but shares the building with a new entertainment center that includes a bowling alley, an arcade, a bar and a restaurant. There's also two event spaces: the Belk Hudson Room, which features an executive conference table for groups of up to 20, and the Stricklin Social, which has exposed brick walls, redwood columns, a built-in bar and space for up to 100.