La Crosse sees boom in hotel construction

4 New Projects Are Underway In City's Downtown

As the demand for hotel rooms in La Crosse continues to grow, the city is seeing a boom in construction, with four hotels in the works for the city's downtown.

Nestled along the banks of the Mississippi River, contractors are hard at work converting a 117-year-old brick building, formerly a candy factory, into a small boutique hotel. The $30 million Charmant Hotel is set to open in downtown La Crosse in September.

In addition, a Hampton Inn and Suites is scheduled to be completed this fall near the Oktoberfest grounds. Construction just began on a Fairfield Inn, and city officials are finalizing plans for a Hilton Home2.

La Crosse Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Executive Director Dave Clements said the new hotels will let the area host bigger conventions, and that more visitors will be able to stay in downtown La Crosse for the city’s most popular events.

"It also allows for more accommodations for things like Oktoberfest and the Midwest organic farming conference and the state track meet," said Clements.

La Crosse currently has 515 hotel rooms downtown. When construction is finished on all the projects, it will house an additional 385 hotel rooms.

Reported by:  WPR.org