NC State has announced plans to open the StateView Hotel on Centennial Campus in Fall 2017. The hotel is being built because of a partnership between NC State University and Marriott Autograph Collection Hotels, and a soft opening, with no big event or advertisement, is expected in either September or October 2017.
The hotel will feature 164 guest rooms, three suites, an outdoor restaurant and lounge spaces, as well as an 8,400-square foot conference space that can accommodate up to 300 people. The hotel will complete Centennial Campus’ “neighborhood of hospitality” that includes Lonnie Poole Golf Course, the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center and the State Club.
Scott R. Douglass, vice chancellor for finance and administration, believes that the hotel will greatly increase the value of NC State.
“As we’ve seen with university-related hotels at peer institutions such as Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and UNC-Chapel Hill, having a hotel on campus provides the opportunity for NC State to be a destination location for a variety of academic-related and other larger conferences and meetings, bringing more people to campus to experience NC State’s excellence first-hand,” Douglass said.
While the hotel is being built on university grounds, it is funded privately by an outside company; no university funds are being used. However, the Endowment Fund of NC State University owns the land the hotel sits on and therefore receives ground rent from the hotel. The hotel is also expected to not take any business away from NC State student unions, including Talley Student Union, according to Douglass and Tim Hogan, director of NC State Student Centers.
“We believe the StateView could have a complementary effect on other campus facilities,” Douglass said. “Both in terms of overflow space use in places such as Talley and the Park Alumni Center, and in terms of additional visitors on campus that could visit the bookstores and university dining facilities.”
Hogan echoed this sentiment.
“We will continue to host conferences [in Talley], there will be no impact at all from the hotel,” Hogan said.
Since the StateView hotel is a partner to NC State’s campus, the university has agreed that for official university meetings, conferences and other related events that require booking blocks of rooms and meeting rooms, NC State will take a first look at the StateView hotel to reserve space. However, this will have no impact on student and student-focused organizations as they will not be required to use the StateView or change the way their current operations are run, according to Douglass.
“While we are confident the StateView will provide an outstanding opportunity for many events, we realize it will not fit all needs, and nobody will be required to use the property,” Douglass said.
The main purpose of the hotel is to attract meetings, bring in people from outside the university and provide them a positive campus experience. The hotel will also allow for family, alumni, fans and others who would like an opportunity to stay on NC State Campus to do so. It will also serve as additional spaces for other Centennial partners.
“The StateView will serve as a convenient option for the 70-plus business, nonprofit and government partners on Centennial who either need hotel and conference space and or bring visitors to their on-campus offices,” Douglass said.
The StateView Hotel is expected to open in Fall 2017. For more information, visit http://www.stateviewhotel.com/.
