Published August 20, 2019, in Weatherford Democrat
Written By: Autumn Owens
The East Parker County Chamber of Commerce held a groundbreaking ceremony to officially welcome the SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel to Willow Park Tuesday morning.
In May, the Willow Park City Council approved a site plan revision for the 22,650 square foot hotel, which will be located between The Shops at Willow Park and the Willow Park North development that’s currently under construction.
“This is a big day for the city of Willow Park, this is a big day for Parker County. It’s a lot of work involved when you’re going to build something that’s going to be here for the next 50 years and there’s a lot of late nights and a lot of things involved in getting to this point,” Wilks Development President Kyle Wilks said. “In some ways, when you’re in development, it kind of feels like the end when you get to this point, but it’s just the beginning and we’re super excited about the years to come.”
EPCCC President and CEO Lisa Flowers said in 2012 a meeting was held with the mayors of East Parker County about the need for a hotel.
“Everybody unanimously agreed that we needed an event center and hotel in East Parker County, so I met with Kyle in 2012 and it’s 2019, so it does take a long time to make things happen,” Flowers said.
The hotel will feature 88 rooms, a free-standing 5,900 square foot conference center and a pool.
“We’re just happy to be part of the community here. We have 450 SpringHill Suites today that are open and another 250 in the pipeline,” Marriott Area Vice President, Western Region Ron Stewart said. “This brand is very unique — it’s very high in style — and we have 30 brands. This brand always ranks either first or second of the 30 brands in guest satisfaction and that says a lot about what the brand is and the folks that are invested in it.”
WP City Manager Bryan Grimes said the hotel is a business the city has been wanting.
“We think that they’re going to address a growing need in East Parker County and specifically Willow Park, and we look forward to working with them and utilizing the property for events — I’m personally going to put a lot of my family here when they come to visit,” Grimes said. “They’re a great addition to the Wilks Development and are kind of an anchor for the back portion of this development. We’re just excited about having SpringHill Suites here.”
Hotel developer on the project, Hena Masters, said construction on the hotel will begin right away.
“It is humbling to see you all here, to have your support in various ways, and to be here to break the ground for our vision,” Masters said.
WP Mayor Doyle Moss said he is excited to continue improvements in the city.
“We are very excited about Marriott coming to our city and I think it will be a great partnership,” Moss said. “I would like to thank Kyle Wilks and Wilks Development, our city manager and council and the parks and recreation board for making it happen, we’re very excited to improve our city. We have some great things going on in Willow Park, and Willow Park is open for business.”
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