Mississippi Hotel Razed After Tornado to be Replaced

An 80-room Tupelo, Miss., hotel demolished because of heavy damage from the tornado last April will be replaced by a larger hotel – one with the Hilton brand.

A 108-room Home2 Suites will be built where the Comfort Suites once stood, Fusion Hospitality owner Bruce Patel told The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

It will be the second Hilton Worldwide property in the city. The Peachtree Hotel Group, based in Atlanta, owns the 154-room Hilton Garden Inn on Main Street.

“Tupelo has been extremely good to us over the years, and we are committed to helping rebuild the community stronger than ever,” Patel said. “This is a significant step for us, as we partner with a brand as powerful as Hilton to bring such a unique product to Tupelo.”

The April 28 tornado ripped off parts of the Comfort Suites’ roof and exterior. The city eventually ordered it torn down as a health and safety hazard.

The new hotel is expected to open sometime this year, the newspaper reported.

Home2 Suites is marketed as all-suite mid-tier hotels catering to the extended-stay market, but also good for shorter says, according to Hilton. Each suite has separate living and sleeping areas and a kitchen.

Comfort Suites are franchises of Choice Hotels International Inc.

The one in Tupelo, built in 2008, was among more than a dozen hotels owned and operated by Tupelo-based Fusion Hospitality. Its other properties in Tupelo include Comfort Inn, Best Western Plus, Holiday Inn and Candlewood Suites.