Hotel Proposed for Salt Lake's GA Airport

West Jordan is about to reap an economic-development dividend from being one of the state's fastest growing cities.

It is getting its first hotel.

Hampton Inn and Suites will break ground Wednesday morning on a 108-room hotel at 3923 W. Center Park Drive, between the Jordan Landing multiuse project and Salt Lake City Municipal Airport No. 2. It will be the 17th Hampton Inn in Utah, the sixth in the Salt Lake Valley.

Construction of a hotel is "a momentous occasion in West Jordan's history," said Craig Dearing, president of the West Jordan Chamber of Commerce. "Our community is growing rapidly in population and our economic development is simply outstanding. For several years, we have searched for hotels to open in West Jordan to assist our residents and businesses with their needs."

Suburban hotels are "a catalyst" for more economic growth, added Gabe Morazan, the chamber's marketing and events director. Mindful that several hotels clustered around the E Center in West Valley City routinely fill 80 percent of their rooms on a nightly basis, he said that "once you bring in hotels, a lot of more tourist-type companies - like restaurants and, maybe, other competing hotels - come in. It will bring economic development forward."

The hotel, 30 percent of whose rooms will be suites, will mesh well with Jordan Landing's mixture of residential, commercial and office space, Morazan said.

"Jordan Landing is one of our key up-and-coming areas of development. One of the biggest Best Buys in the state just opened there," he noted. And while the hotel will be adjacent to Mountain America Credit Union's corporate offices, it is also surrounded by "quite a bit of open space" more likely to be developed because of the hotel's presence.

In addition, "a lot of [chamber] members now are using hotels outside of the city. The same goes for residents. Most of the time when they have family and friends visiting from other cities and states, they have to stay in surrounding areas. This will make it easier for residents and businesses to have visitors."

The hotel announcement also is welcome news to Jeff Vitek, president of Four Square Properties, which owns Jordan Landing.

"It's a great site for [a hotel]," he said. "We know that the [Hampton Inn] people are great operators. This will be a wonderful complement to the shopping center and office and residential components of our project. And it's proximity to Airport No. 2 is ideal."

There are almost 1,400 Hampton Inns or Hampton Inn and Suites in 49 states, Canada, Mexico and Central and South American countries. The West Jordan hotel will have an 1,800-square-foot conference center, a pool, spa, fitness rooms and a business center.