Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte/Concord, N.C., is HGI's 500th hotel

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 18, 2010—Hilton Garden Inn announced the brand’s 500th hotel opening, the 118-room Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte/Concord in North Carolina. Over the past 14 years, the Hilton Garden Inn brand has become one of the fastest-growing brands in the hospitality industry, with hotels either opened or soon to open in 11 countries around the world.

The landmark 500th hotel is owned by Griffin Stafford Lodging One, a Charlotte-based real estate development firm that specializes in extended-stay and focused-service hotels, and is managed by Griffin Stafford Management. This is the first new-build Hilton Worldwide brand hotel for Griffin Stafford Lodging One, which also has signed a development agreement for a 105-suite Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel in Mooresville, N.C.

The hotel was built by Charlotte-based Concorde Construction Inc., which worked tirelessly to ensure sustainability efforts were put into place during the construction process. In all, more than 468,000 pounds of construction waste was recycled and diverted from landfills, representing 92 percent of the total construction waste.

The Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte/Concord is one of the first within the brand’s portfolio to feature a newly redesigned Pavilion, which has improved overall flow and functionality. Also featured are a variety of contemporary, yet classic, design elements that stay true to the brand’s signature “garden” theme.

“Our guests were looking for space outside of their hotel room that offered both an intimate and casual feel for various uses, such as eating in the restaurant, working in the business center, socializing at the bar, or just relaxing in the lounge. That’s what the redesign of the Pavilion has accomplished,” Kurre noted.  “The new space encourages guests to manage their needs in a less compartmentalized manner, while allowing them to be alone, but not lonely.”

Joel Griffin, principal of Griffin Stafford, agrees. “The updated Pavilion design is very conducive to guest interaction, but it’s beneficial from our point of view because it’s extremely cost-effective and incorporates aspects that should help increase our bottom line. It repositions the bar area to a more highly trafficked space and makes it more accessible to guests.”

Located off of I-85 at Exit 49, the six-story Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte/Concord is approximately one mile from Charlotte Motor Speedway and adjacent to Concord Mills Outlet Mall. It is also near the University Research Park, North Carolina Research Campus, International Business Park and numerous NASCAR team facilities. All guest rooms feature complimentary wired and wireless Internet access and secure, remote printing to the business center; refrigerator, microwave oven and coffee maker; self-adjusting Garden Sleep System® bed; large work desk and ergonomic Mirra® chair by Herman Miller; two telephones featuring voicemail, speaker capability and data port; iron and ironing board; and 32” high-definition LCD television.