Opening hotel expected to have ‘great impact’

The new Homewood Suites Hilton extended-stay hotel in Five Points South, expected to open in mid-January, will help increase the neighborhood’s attractiveness for tourists and business travelers in search of dining and other walkable amenities, say the developer and others.

The Homewood Suites — with over 100 rooms, an Art Deco façade and a cost of about $18 million — should have “a great impact” on Five Points, said the developer, Rakesh Patel of Pelham.

“I think it will help improve the area and give it a different energy,” Patel said. “And we’ve already seen some improvements, both in Five Points and in Birmingham.”

Patel also cited the neighborhood’s “great restaurants,” as did James Little of REV Birmingham, who said there are about 40 eateries in walking distance of the hotel.

The hotel is “a great thing for Five Points,” said restaurateur George Reis of Ocean and 5 Point Public House Oyster Bar. 

“It will obviously draw people into the area.”

Patel’s project demonstrates the entertainment district’s allure for investors, according to Little, who cited several renovations in the area, including some planned for the Hotel Highland, and said an estimated $95 million is being spent in Five Points in 2016 and 2017

“I believe that knowing a company like Hilton saw what was coming has helped other investors pull the trigger on their own projects here,” said attorney Stephen Alexander, who recently moved his law firm to a building he bought on 11th Court South near Hot & Hot Fish Club.