Careful planning and a willingness to adapt to change guided Robins & Morton in transforming a historic site in downtown Tuscaloosa into a thriving, job-creating hotel. This 154-room Embassy Suites had its share of obstacles. The site was tight, and its historic significance required an archeological dig, preventing construction from starting on schedule.
Robins & Morton was able to remove $1 million from the budget by collaborating with trade contractors on ways to save money without affecting quality. By scheduling just-in-time deliveries for all construction materials and regular bi-weekly meetings with all trades, the team was able to makeup for the initial schedule delay.
The hotel was a new prototype for the Embassy Suites brand, and in the end was a great success. A five-star restaurant was included, as well as ballrooms, meeting rooms and an indoor pool. In fact, when booking opened, the hotel immediately sold out rooms for all seven University of Alabama football games six months in advance of football season.
Owner
Kemmons Wilson Companies
Location
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Architect
Bounds and Gillespie Architects, PLLC
Size
153,581 SF
