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Proposed hotel hopes to build off West Towne's success

Kristin Czubkowski  —  10/14/2008 3:25 pm

Madison's far west side might be getting in on the city's hotel action as architects for a new Hyatt Place meet with the city's Urban Design Commission Wednesday.

A new Hyatt Place hotel, which would be located near West Towne Mall, would be one of six hotels announced in the past year, including a 48-room boutique hotel near Camp Randall and a 128-room Hilton Garden Inn on John Nolen Drive.

Kraig Sadownikow of American Design and Build, Inc., the construction company for the new Hyatt Place, will be presenting plans to the commission for the six-story, 127-room hotel on the southwest side of the mall, located near Toys R Us. Sadownikow said the design for the building will have the modern brick and glass features of other Hyatt Place hotels and will include a restaurant and expanded lobby area.

Jeff Schroeder of Kinseth Hospitality Companies, which will be operating the hotel, said the hotel will cater to businesses and tech-savvy customers, with rooms featuring flat-screen televisions and complimentary Wi-Fi Internet. Despite some concerns about the current state of the economy, Schroeder said the company will likely capitalize on the proximity of the Beltline highway and West Towne Mall in attracting customers who do business on the west side and in Middleton.

Rob Zache of Central Place Real Estate, who sold the West Towne location to Kinseth, called the Hyatt Place "a great product on a great location." The mall is currently undergoing renovation to incorporate more of a "lifestyle" theme, he said, with new restaurants and retail outside the mall itself. A hotel located within walking distance from the mall would be a part of that vision.

Moreover, he said, the Hyatt name, which is well-known nationally but is just breaking into Madison, will also likely be a draw.

The new Hyatt Place, as a subsidiary of Hyatt, is a trendy version of the bigger brand, but still affordable at around $120 per night, he said. He added that "those types of properties are very successful in the Madison market."

Zache, who has more than 25 years of experience in finding locations for hotels and restaurants in Madison, also said the recent boom in hotels in the city despite a national economic downturn is a reflection of Madison's "strong and stable economy" anchored by the university and state government. While some hotels do better in a weak economy and others in a strong one, Madison is "always going to have new product being added to the market.

"A hotel is just another part of the economic growth and real estate growth," he said. "Sometimes it comes in waves, and that's what we're seeing right now."

Kristin Czubkowski  —  10/14/2008 3:25 pm