Residence Inn planned on 33rd Avenue SW in Cedar Rapids

Construction of a Residence Inn by Marriott, off Interstate 380 in southwest Cedar Rapids, will swing into high gear in the spring.

Hawkeye Hotels of Burlington is developing the 95-suite, four-story extended-stay hotel in the 700 block of 33rd Avenue SW. It will be very similar in appearance and amenities to a 100-suite Residence Inn at 2681 James St. in Coralville that the company opened last year.

The family-owned Hawkeye Hotels opened a 92-room, four-story Fairfield Inn & Suites nearby at 605 32nd Ave. SW in 2011. It also owns the Homewood Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites in northeast Cedar Rapids.

While Dave Schmitt Construction has begun preliminary site work, Raj Patel, Hawkeye Hotels director of development, said winter weather will delay the installation of underground utilities and construction of the hotel's concrete foundation until next spring.

"We broke ground the first week of November and we have 6 inches of frost on the site," Patel said. "It looks like over the next couple of weeks we will have 12 inches of frost on the site.

"Underground electrical, plumbing and concrete are three things that you cannot compromise with weather."

Patel said the site work will probably stop in mid-December and resume after the ground thaws, possibly as early as mid-March.

"From the time we pour our concrete slab, we expect construction to take about 10 months," Patel said. "We would like to have the hotel open by early 2015."

Patel, who also  is president of Patel Construction, said the company will be the general contractor for the project. He said local subcontractors and construction workers will be employed where possible.

Residence Inns are designed as all-suite hotels that offer studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom options. Each suite includes a large work desk, ergonomic chair and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

The suites also offer a fully equipped kitchen with a coffee maker, microwave oven and residential-sized appliances. Guests are offered a complimentary buffet breakfast as well as an evening reception where beer and wine is served along with dinner.

Patel said the Cedar Rapids Residence Inn will have an indoor swimming pool, exercise room, meeting room and multipurpose outdoor exercise area equipped with a basketball backboard.

Founded in 1982 by the Patel family with a single roadside hotel in Mena, Ark., Hawkeye Hotels owns and operates over $400 million in assets across the Midwest. The company has more than 1,000 employees and has affiliations with leading hospitality brands, including Marriott, Hilton, InterContinental and Starwood.