12 March 2017
Bureau Business
Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau
Sleepless in Emporia ?
Susan Rathke CVB Director
If April showers bring May flowers , what does March bring ? New hotels and basketball ! That ’ s right ! Hampton Inn by Hilton will be opening this spring . And , the announcement was just made that another hotel will be built in the future right on Commercial Street . Thanks to Mitchell Markowitz Construction , the long-standing former Burger Chef restaurant will be replaced by a 40-room hotel .
The timing is right , too , in anticipation of our upcoming major sporting events , the Glass Blown Open and the Dirty Kanza . The new Hampton Inn will have 75 much-needed rooms . I ’ ve heard from some , “ do we need another hotel ?” Yes , we do ! What we must have are new , clean , modern , comfortable hotels to accommodate the many visitors who stay overnight in Emporia . Our reputation around the state depends on this very thing . Having choices of where one stays is important . Room rates vary and the traveler is usually familiar with the various hotel brands and what to expect to pay . Emporia has , including the new Hampton Inn , 15 hotels and one bed and breakfast providing travelers with over 800 room choices . The new bed and breakfast , the Gufler Mansion at 612 W 12th , opened a few months ago , and has 10 lodging rooms . In addition , private lodging has been springing up in and around Emporia , some signing up with the “ Airbnb ” alliance . If you provide private lodging and would like to be included in our “ private lodging ” list , please call the Emporia CVB at 342-1600 .
It is our hope to see the older commercial lodging properties in Emporia make renovations to keep up with the needs of their guests . Regardless , we are thankful for the lodging choices Emporia has to offer and are anxious to fill them up as much as possible with visitors ! Get the new 2017 Emporia Visitors Guide to share with visitors and see the entire list of where to stay in town and all the awesome things to see and do when here .