Gwinnett Ponders Headquarters Hotel at Arena

It's still in the planning stages, but Gwinnett tourism officials want to gauge interest in a headquarters hotel that would be part of the Gwinnett Center/Arena complex.

Gwinnett tourism official Lisa Anders noted that Gwinnett County officials are preparing and would handle the Request For Proposals. The motivation comes from the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which operates the arena and the center.

Anders noted that hotel occupancy has been good in Gwinnett in 2011, though rates are slowly working upward. A "headquarters hotel" has been needed for a long time, she added, but officials don't want "just another hotel." She said an RFP would be "testing the waters."

In the Sugarloaf Parkway/I-85 area, near the center and arena, there are several boutique-type hotels. But those are generally suited to business and personal travelers.