Deptford's planning board has approved the construction of two new hotels along Hurffville Road (Route 41), just across the road from where the highway joins Route 42.

A Hampton Inn and a Marriott Courtyard have been given the green light. Deptford officials did not know exactly when building would begin, however, because the developer responsible for both facilities still has to go through the permitting process at both the county and state level.

"On our end, they're all approved," said Mayor Paul Medany. "One reason for it is our proximity to Philadelphia. You're right near the entrance to the freeway. You can be in the city in 10 minutes."

The Hampton Inn will cater mostly to leisure travelers spending a night or two in the Philadelphia area. Developers plan to offer guests a free continental breakfast. The Marriott, meanwhile, is intended to serve business travelers, and will feature a small eatery serving Starbucks products. According to planning board minutes from the winter, both hotels will also have workout rooms, pools, spas and laundry services. The two establishments will employee seven people full-time, and support various part-time positions. The Marriott will be the first of the two to be built.

A Fairfield Inn and a Residence Inn already operating nearby boast an occupancy rate of more than 85 percent at any given time, Medany said.

"The occupancy rate is great on the two hotels we've got now," he said. "We wouldn't even try to attract them if that wasn't the case."

Mark Matthews is a Deptford resident who runs 42freeway.com, a blog that focuses on news about business development along Route 42 and the surrounding communities. In a post on the blog, he discussed the future of the hotels. Matthews pointed out that besides the two current hotels -- situated nearly adjacent the site of the new ones -- options for lodging in the area are few and far between.

"You've got a Holiday Inn in Pureland (Logan Township), and a hotel in Washington Township, but in this part of the county, or near Bellmawr, there aren't a lot of hotels," he said. "If you get to talking to people in the Pizzeria Uno near the current hotels, you'll see that there are a lot of corporate travelers here."

Like Medany, he said the site's proximity to Philadelphia made it a desirable location for business travel. In the near future, Matthews said, he hopes to see something done to deal with traffic on Hurffville Road where the hotels will eventually stand.

"The politicians, whether it's local or county, need to step up," he said of the increasing flow of traffic on that stretch of road. "That corridor needs to be addressed."

Andy Polhamus may be reached at apolhamus@southjerseymedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ajpolhamus. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.