McALLEN — The sounds of laughter and excitement stretched across the field Thursday morning here in the convention center district in McAllen. A field that would soon be home to a new five-story hotel that marks continued growth in the area.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held marking the beginning of construction for the Aloft Hotel, a Marriott brand. The McAllen Chamber of Commerce said the new hotel will feature 144 rooms, swimming pool, a bar and grab-and-go breakfast concepts.
The new hotel to be located at 501 S. Ware Road in McAllen will be the third and as of now final hotel in the convention center area, District 2 McAllen City Commissioner Joaquin “J.J.” Zamora said, adding that the new hotel is being built by Ruby Red Hospitality. Construction of the hotel will be by Alamo System Industries LLC.
“There is no point having a convention center if you don’t have hotel rooms within walking distance,” Zamora said. “We were missing out on a lot of events because we didn’t have the hotel space.”
With the addition of the new hotel, city officials are optimistic for the future of the convention center district as they continue to add new business to the area. Zamora hopes the hotel will promote an increase in tourist visitation, and looks forward to a healthy competition between Aloft and the two Hilton hotels in the area, Embassy Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites.
Aloft’s arrival also comes during a pivotal time for the city after the COVID-19 pandemic led to the need for hotel accommodations for out of state nurses who came to the region to assist overburdened hospitals.
“In the recent years partly because of COVID and governmental contracts we experienced a very healthy occupancy rate in the city,” Zamora said, adding that the severe impact COVID-19 had on the region led to an overwhelming number of hospitalizations and the need for more nursing staff.
That need led to a rise in hotel occupancy since the nurses from outside the area needed a place to stay. Zamora anticipates Aloft only adding to that.
“This is going to be a very happening central centerpiece for our city. Of course, with Oval Park which seems to be a very important attraction for our citizens … of course, it’s very attractive, aesthetically pleasing, a lot of trees, a lot of green space,” Zamora said, adding that he hopes attractions at the McAllen Convention Center will continue to attract companies like Alof to McAllen.
“We want to make McAllen second to none,” he added.
In a statement Wednesday, Hershal Patel, manager of Ruby Red Hospitality, expressed his excitement for Aloft Hotel’s arrival in the Valley.
“We are very impressed with Aloft’s convergence of boutique-style detail to an energetic and trendy hotel concept, and we’re especially excited to bring this concept to McAllen. This is also the first Aloft hotel in the Rio Grande Valley,” Patel said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify information about the hotel.
