XENIA HOTEL WILL NOW OPEN AUG. 15

Finishing touches delay completion of 88-room hotel.

The grand opening for the Hampton Inn & Suites in Xenia was expected to happen in July, but putting the final touches on the city’s newest hotel will take another month.

It is the latest delay for the hotel, which officials last August said would open by the end of 2017.

Construction on the 88-room hotel, a $6 million project, got underway last year.

“The project has faced challenges from labor shortages and issues with some subcontractors,” according to Xenia City Planner Brian Forschner.

The grand opening has been pushed to Aug. 15, according to Samantha Dean, the hotel’s general manager.

Dean said they were waiting for approval from the Greene County Building Department on some necessary building permits, but those have now been granted.

Rooms and suites are getting carpeting and tile work done this week, and equipment such as washers and dryers are to be delivered and installed soon, Dean said.

“The management team has been hired already. I will be placing job ads for front desk, housekeeping and breakfast staff,” Dean said.

The hotel, owned by Indiana-based Tashi Hospitality Inc. under the Hilton brand, plans to hire 15 to 18 more people, Dean said.

The hotel was made possible in part through a property tax abatement agreement between Tashi Hospitality and the city of Xenia. Tashi Hospital is to receive a 90 percent tax abatement on the increased property value of the land for the first six years, then 70 percent for the following two years, according to the city.

The city collects income tax revenue, and the estimated annual payroll at the hotel is expected to be $300,000, according to the city.

The hotel will feature an indoor pool and fitness center as well as a meeting room, a business center and a dining area where breakfast will be served.

The hotel will not feature a bar, but Dean said wine and beer will be sold in an area near the front desk.

According to the hotel website, travelers can book rooms now for Nov. 1 and beyond.

TY GREENLEES / STAFF The Hampton Inn & Suites hotel will feature an indoor pool and fitness center as well as a meeting room, a business center and a dining area where breakfast will be served.