NEW HOTEL ALONG INTERSTATE 10 - AN INDICATOR OF CRESTVIEW'S GROWTH

New hotels along I-10 an indicator of Crestview’s growth
By THOMAS J. MONIGAN Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4438 tmonigan@nwfdailynews.com CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County’s largest town has seen constant growth in recent years, and among the most visible newcomers are Tractor Supply and Staples. But just how much impact comes from being wrapped around an interstate also has become apparent. Two national chain hotels opened adjacent to Interstate 10 late last year, and another is set to open in the near future. Combined, they mean about $10 million worth of investment and 220 rooms for potential visitors. “And they’re a driver for other things,” said Wayne Harris, executive director of the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce. “They mean more retail and restaurants as well as tourists.” Best Western, Country Inn & Suites and Holiday Inn Express are the newcomers. They are in an area that has about 45,000 vehicles traveling daily on State Road 85 near I-10, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. Crestview now has almost a dozen hotels and motels, according to Harris. “Our advantage is we have had a high occupancy rate,” he said. “That’s why we’ve got that many. The rate has been in the high 80s and 90s consistently.” But lodging is not all about tourists. Army Rangers are moving to the area because of military relocation, and the official agreement to bring the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter here was signed last week. “I imagine they (the new hotels) will get quite a bit of traffic, with construction workers and 2,500 soldiers being stationed here, and their families as well,” Crestview planning official Eric Davis said. Larry Sassano, president of the Okaloosa Economic Development Council, said he was not surprised by such development, even in what has turned out to be a scary economic climate. “They’re smart, and they’ve already done their research,” Sassano said of the hotels. “They’ve studied what’s coming in natural growth and what’s coming from the military. If I owned a hotel I would build one right there.” The Best Western opened last November, and sales manager Jonna Barth said it has been running about 50 percent occupied since. “The holidays were very good to us, and soon as the tourist traffic starts in March we’ll really get going,” Barth said. “Crestview has definitely been discovered, but the hotels are still a little ahead of the growth that is to come.” Barth said the Best Western’s meeting room space has been used in many ways, and the visibility of the building itself has been a factor. “Being on that hill (just off John King Road on the southern side of I-10) has been a big plus for us,” she said. Slightly farther south on SR 85 is the Holiday Inn Express, which is targeting April for its opening. On the north side of the interstate is Country Inn & Suites, where Jatin Shah is the general manager. It opened in early November. “It’s been tough,” Shah said. “Our entrance is a little difficult and we can only put signs on our own property. We’re running under 20 percent, but hopefully in March that will start to pick up. … We’re the nicest hotel in Crestview, and that’s good enough to compete.”