DUBLIN, Ga. — Soon, Dublin will see another hotel open on Exit 51, and it's going to be the biggest in town.
The Dublin Visitor Center says they've been planning for this hotel since before COVID-19, thanks to more tourists visiting the Emerald City.
Visit Dublin's Executive Director Miriam Lewis said Dublin has 728 hotel rooms, including bed and breakfasts. Soon, they'll have 92 more suite-style rooms with the new Home2 Suites by Hilton Hotel.
"Just having that extended stay opportunity is gonna be amazing," Lewis said.
She's been with the Visitor Center for almost 10 years. Their job at the center is to help visitors find a home away from home.
"We've seen so many more people that are just coming in and saying, 'We're going to stay in Dublin for a few days, what is there to do?'" Lewis said. "And that just really gets us going because it's exciting to see that uptick in people that are just hearing about Dublin, hearing about the great things that our partners are doing and just want to come experience it."
Between the small businesses, restaurants, events and entertainment options, she said recommending things to do for tourists is a breeze. On busy weekends, finding a place for tourists to say can be a little bit harder.
Phil Patel is the general manager of the Hampton Inn and Suites on Travel Center Boulevard. He said sometimes business is too good - and they have to turn away customers.
"Monday through Thursday, we basically are 100% occupancy hotel here," Patel said. "You know, we sell out just about every single day. Weekends, it just depends on if anything is happening in town."
He said their busiest season is the summer, and they see a lot more weekend visitors because of things like tournaments, family trips and local events. The increase in jobs coming to Dublin has also made a big difference for them.
"There's growth in the industry," Patel said. "We see more and more industries are coming in town and as industries come, they're bringing in more and more people in town."
He said he's glad to see another hotel open next door, because it's been needed for a while.
Lewis said thanks to Visit Dublin's new decision to use digital marketing for city promotion, their new website and going hard with print ads, more people have been discovering the Emerald City.
"So it flip-flops," she said. "You have the workforce during the week and then you have the leisure, travel and your tournaments on the weekends, so it kind of balances out."
Lewis said in 2022, tax revenue from tourists saved every Laurens County household over $400.
The new hotel holds 92 rooms in Hilton Hotel's 'Home 2 Suites' style, and it's expected to open in September on travel center boulevard.