Huntsville’s downtown hotel boom has reached another milestone with the groundbreaking for the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton.

The hotel is being built on the vacant lot at Monroe Street and Clinton Avenue adjacent to what will soon be a reconstructed parking deck along Monroe.

The hotel, developed by Vision Hospitality Group in Chattanooga, will have 150 rooms and is scheduled to open in early 2021.

“We are excited to partner with Hilton to develop the Hampton Inn & Suites in downtown Huntsville,” Mitch Patel, Vision Hospitality Group President & CEO, said in announcing that work had started. “Huntsville continues to see significant growth with new developments such as the Toyota/Mazda and Blue Origin manufacturing plants, which create a demand for quality accommodations at an attractive rate. Vision is pleased to meet this need in Huntsville’s thriving market with one of the most dependable brands available today.”

Work is also underway on a Curio by Hilton hotel downtown on Jefferson Street and plans are underway to build an Autograph by Marriott hotel on the southwest corner of the Monroe Street parking deck. And the Huntsville city council recently approved plans for a Hyatt House hotel downtown at Jefferson Street and Holmes Avenue.

A new hotel announcement is also expected at some point for the CityCentre development on Williams Avenue near the recently-opened AC Hotel by Marriott.

City leaders are seeking to expand its downtown inventory of hotels to attract larger conferences and events to the Von Braun Center – which is undergoing its own expansion.

Officials also say that hotel space is at a premium in Huntsville during the work week and more rooms are needed to accommodate the crush of visitors doing business in the Rocket City and Redstone Arsenal.

According to the announcement by Vision Hospitality, the hotel will feature standard brand amenities including free hot breakfast with healthy options, complimentary WiFi, a 24-hour business center and fitness center. The hotel will also participate in Hilton Honors, the guest-loyalty program for Hilton’s 17 distinct hotel brands.