COLUMBIA, S.C. — The City of Columbia is seeing a boom in the number of hotels coming in, according to city council member Howard Duvall. He says places to stay are in high demand.
"The reason we have new hotels coming up is that the existing downtown hotels are at around an 80% occupancy rate. That's conducive to other people coming in and trying to put up a hotel to try to get some of that business, we have 5 or 6 hotels coming out of the ground right now, and I think that trend will continue," Duvall said.
The councilman said the city allowing more hotels to pop up is part of a bigger plan.
"What we're looking for from the city's perspective though is a couple close to the convention center that can support the expansion of the center," Duvall said. "Right now, it does not have a hotel that you would call a convention hotel."
The latest proposed hotel would be an addition of a new Hotel Trundle on Gadsden Street in the Vista.
The owners of the original Hotel Trundle on Taylor Street are considering the purchase of property at 1237 Gadsden Street to expand their hotel business.
The plans for the new hotel depict 41 rooms, a lobby, a fitness center, and a private outdoor patio. This new space would be a three-minute drive from the original Hotel Trundle.
Chelsie Sholes works in the Vista at The Dragon Room and said she likes the idea of having a new hotel so close to her work.
"That would be fantastic, it's such a great spot. I really like how it's become a thing where people are taking old buildings and keeping the character of them and making them into something special," said Sholes.
Hotel Trundle in the Vista is still in the early planning stages and will go back before Columbia's Design Development and Review Commission before it can be approved.