What’s that being built near Highway 101 in Grover Beach? New 4-story hotel takes shape
A new hotel is beginning to take shape in Grover Beach after more than half a year of construction.
In June 2023, work started on Springhill Suites, a new 134-room Marriott hotel at 950 El Camino Real east of the intersection of Five Cities Drive and North Fourth Street.
Approved in 2007 by the Grover Beach City Council, the project has undergone several iterations in the past 16 years due to a combination of financing difficulties, COVID-19 pandemic-related delays and infrastructure improvements, Grover Beach city planner A. Rafael Castillo told The Tribune in June 2023.
On Tuesday, Grover Beach community development director Megan Martin said the project would provide a new source of local revenue through accommodation fees, dining and other services.
What is that in SLO County?
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She said the coming development is a sign of expansions to come across the city, and would help alleviate the ever-present need for more tourist accommodations.
“The city is on the cusp of a transformation with nearly 197 new housing units anticipated, and 100 of those slated for construction within the next two years,” Martin told The Tribune in an email. “This expansion underscores a demand for accommodation options, not only to cater to new residents but also to accommodate visiting friends, family and tourists attracted to this unique community.”
Hotel project on schedule as more enter development
Around seven months in, the hotel is beginning to take shape along El Camino Real, with the first two stories of wooden frames starting to rise above the concrete footprint as of Feb. 23.
Martin said the project will also make infrastructure improvements to sidewalks, bike lanes, curbs and gutters along El Camino Real.
The structure will stand a total of four stories high, and sits on a site that was already graded by the previous owners.
Martin said the project will finish construction in late 2024, and is preparing to welcome guests in early 2025.
It’s far from the only hotel in progress, as the city adds more places for residents and tourists alike to stay, Martin said.
At 1598 El Camino Real, a two-hotel and residential development is in the works, with city staff expecting building permits to be submitted before the summer, Martin said.
The project will feature seven single-family lots and 176 guest rooms across two buildings, Martin said.
The long-awaited Grover Beach Lodge, located at Pismo State Beach, would include up to 150 hotel rooms if approved by the California Department of State Parks, Martin said. That’s still awaiting that approval from the state.
At the intersection of North 4th Street and 5 Cities Drive, a Poppy Market gas station and convenience store is also wrapping up construction as of Tuesday.
Martin said hotels such as Springhill Suites can provide job opportunities in management, housekeeping, front desk operations, maintenance and catering and add jobs to the area while meeting the needs of the growing tourism business.
“As Grover Beach continues to progress as a sought-after community, the addition of new hotels becomes not just desirable, but necessary,” Martin said in an email. “The hotel development will help drive economic vitality and position the city as another premier destination along the Central Coast.”
