Short- and long-term plans for hotels are set to transform the Wilmington area’s hospitality landscape in the near future.
“With several new properties on the immediate and long-range horizon, developers’ feasibility studies are most likely supporting the need for more lodging in key areas of New Hanover County,” said Kim Hufham, president and CEO of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Officials say the need for more hotel rooms is greatest in the Wilmington Convention District along the riverfront to accommodate the increasing demand from Wilmington Convention Center meetings and events.
“The convention center area stands out as a spot where more hotel development could make a difference,” said Zach Brigman, general manager of Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront. “I know of events that have been passed up because the venue’s too small or there aren’t enough hotels nearby for big groups. More rooms right around there would help us snag larger conventions and keep guests close to the action.”
Last October, Ideal Hospitality purchased 1 Hanover St. for more than $3.7 million to build two hotels in downtown Wilmington. The new hotels are expected to have 300 to 350 rooms and several food-and-beverage options, with one being a dual-branded extended stay hotel targeting corporate travelers. Ideal Hospitality is in the branding and planning stages and “is six to eight months away from making any concrete announcements,” said the president and CEO of Ideal Hospitality, Mehul Patel.
In recent years, ARRIVE by PaliSociety announced plans to construct a four-story, 27,000-square-foot building designed in a period style, featuring 55 rooms. The new building is set to be located in the 100 block of Second Street, adjacent to its existing downtown hotel. The designs for this expansion received unanimous approval from Wilmington’s Historic Preservation Commission in 2023, which is responsible for reviewing proposed exterior changes in the city’s historic districts.
Hufham said Carolina Beach and Eastwood and Military Cutoff roads in Wilmington continue to attract the interest of hotel developers.
The Element by Westin is under construction at Mayfaire Town Center off Military Cutoff Road and is expected to open in June. Vision Hospitality Group is developing the 83,000-square-foot hotel with 139 rooms at 1055 International Drive.
The Carroll Companies, a developer located in Greensboro, is moving forward with a luxury Westin hotel and spa in The Avenue at 349 Military Cutoff Road. The Avenue is a planned mixed-use development expected to feature the 236-room Westin as its centerpiece.
Mixed-use project Center Point, underway at 1541 Eastwood Road and led by Wilmington-based Swain & Associates, is also expected to include a hotel, along with other commercial space and residential units. While the Center Point property has been cleared and crews are working on apartments there, construction on the foundation of a potentially 220-room branded hotel has not yet started, said Hufham.
Hufham also said two projects are in the planning stages at Carolina Beach, including Harmony Hospitality’s proposal for an Embassy Suites hotel at the north end of the Carolina Beach Boardwalk and the Oceaneer Motel.
Harmony Hospitality has proposed an Embassy Suites hotel project featuring 177 rooms that would be constructed near the oceanfront between Pelican Lane, Canal Drive and Carolina Beach Avenue North. The location is just steps away from the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. The hotel would include a poolside bar with food service and a rooftop restaurant and bar. Additionally, the project is set to offer four food-and-beverage outlets and an 8,000-square-foot oceanfront ballroom for weddings and other special events. Timelines for the project have not yet been announced.
Crews are renovating the Oceaneer Motel in Carolina Beach, 1621 Lake Park Blvd. The owner, Sailfish Real Estate Capital LLC, purchased the historic hotel for $5 million in 2022. Originally opened in 1971, the motel has been stripped down to its studs, and a tentative reopening is planned for June.
“The motel is going through a careful, loving and time-consuming restoration,” said Rob McCord, managing partner of Sailfish Real Estate Capital.
A 102,714-square-foot Crowne Plaza hotel is set to be built in the business park at Wilmington International Airport. Fully permitted and ready for construction, the hotel is expected to hold 150 rooms and potentially open in September 2026. Amenities are set to include a restaurant, lounge, rooftop bar, 3,756-square-foot meeting spaces, outdoor swimming pool, fitness room and guest laundry.
Last year, Saltwater Inn & Suites, a 48-room, 84-bed condo-style resort with an event center, opened on Topsail Island. Tammy Proctor, executive director of the Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, said more hotel development with event space would be a welcome addition to the growing Surf City area.
“If I were a hospitality group, I would select a site north of the exit of the coming bypass (in Surf City, where infrastructure is available) near a park so we could take advantage of sports tourism,” said Proctor. “I would include a ballroom that seats 500. We don’t have a place to accommodate large weddings or sports team banquets.”
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