New Hampton Inn opens on west side

[June 20, 2008]  The Hampton Inn opened its doors on Saturday, June 14, marking the first new hotel or motel built in Lincoln in over 15 years. The hotel is located just off Interstate 55, Exit 126, which is just north of the Cracker Barrel in Lincoln. The address of the facility is 1019 N. Heitmann Drive.

The 64-room Hampton Inn was designed as part of the "Hometown" Prototype Series, which was created to compete in smaller markets, while keeping all of the amenities that guests expect from Hampton Inn.

The hotel features six king-studio suites that include sofa-sleeper, wet bar, refrigerator and microwave. The motel also has three Jacuzzi suites, and rooms with queen- and king-sized beds. The rooms include 32-inch LCD flat-screen TVs and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

There are also guest laundry facilities, and visitors will be served a complimentary hot breakfast. The Hampton Inn also provides guests with access to an indoor heated pool and whirlpool (pool opens next week), business center, fitness center featuring cardio machines and core equipment, and a meeting room.

Jenna McGraw, director of operations, said the hotel has had a strong response to their reservations system and has been really busy in its first week. "There has been a big interest also from the community," McGraw said. "Several people have come out to see our public areas and our meeting room." She noted that the meeting room, which has a capacity of 15, is available for rent.

She also stated that the hotel is advertising on billboards on Interstate 55 and is in the process of applying for Illinois Department of Transportation signs at Exit 126.

The Hampton Inn will have an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony in about a month. The hotel will be working with the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County to put together special travel packages for guests, including during the last weekend in July, when the Illinois Square and Round Dance Convention arrives in Lincoln.

Tourism director Geoff Ladd said: "In talking with my tourism counterparts in Litchfield, I know that Hampton Inn has made a big difference in bringing hotel guests to that community, and I expect it to do the same here. It will be bringing back hotel guests that we're losing to Springfield and Bloomington."

To make a reservation or to call with questions, please contact the motel directly at 217-732-6729 or at 1-800-HAMPTON.

The motel is owned by Champaign Hotel Ventures, LLC, which also owns Hampton Inns in Litchfield and Columbia, a Baymont Inn & Suites in Champaign, and a Holiday Inn Express & Quality Inn in Evansville, Ind.

[Text from file received from Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County]