Six hotels set to rise in Shenandoah

​SHENANDOAH – Six hotels are coming to Shenandoah in the next few years, bringing the city’s total to 15, officials said.

Cambria Hotel & Suites by Choice Hotels, Aloft Hotel by Starwood Hotels, Even Hotel by IHG and Hampton Inn by Hilton have all received entitlements or have been issued a permit to build in Shenandoah, City Administrator Greg Smith said.

In addition, a Home2 Suites by Hilton is under construction and an Elements hotel by Westin is under consideration after company officials gave a presentation to the Planning and Zoning Committee on September 20.

Shenandoah added its ninth hotel with the opening of a Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites in May.

To reflect this expectation of hospitality growth, the Shenandoah City Council adopted its fiscal year 2016-17 budget in late August, which included proposed hotel tax collections of $1,410,700, an increase from last year’s proposed hotel tax collections of $1,279,165.

The Home2 Suites will open by March in time for the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championship, hosted by Shenandoah.

The new hotels will be an added bonus, Smith said, for the city as it strives to become the first NCAA Division III championship city in the U.S.

Smith said not only will the additional hotels have a positive effect on the economy and NCAA accommodations, but they may also help the city build its long-awaited special events center.