New Hampton Inn to welcome Orange City, Iowa, visitors

That's when a new $6.2 million Hampton Inn will open for business, according to Orange City Development Corp. vice president Marty Guthmiller.

The development group bought the land for the hotel from Deb and Clayton Korver, who had donated an adjacent parcel for the event center two years ago.

A portion of the newly acquired site -- including a pond, fountain and walking path -- was then donated to the city.

The remaining hotel property has been exchanged for an equity position in Prairie Winds Hotel holdings LLC, a group of 20 local investors that will own and operate the new Hampton Inn.

Managing members of the corporation -- elected by the members -- include Steve Roesner, Doug Vogel, Daryl Beltman and Guthmiller.

Guthmiller said the three-story, 60-room hotel will also share the event center's distinctive Old World European and historic Northern Plains architecture.

"The two businesses will certainly provide a nice introduction to Orange City on Iowa Highway 10," he said, adding that this is an increasingly busy section of the town of 6,006.

Creating a tourist destination

The county seat for Sioux County, Orange City is home to Diamond Vogel Paints, Staples Promotional Productions and the Orange City Area Health System.

"Orange City is often a meeting place for businesspeople and medical professionals," Guthmiller explained. "The Hampton Inn will allow them to stay overnight in town."

That's also true for the influx of family members visiting students at Northwestern College.

"I think the new hotel is the right size to accommodate everybody," Guthmiller allowed.

Mike Hofman, executive director of the Orange City Chamber of Commerce, agreed, adding that the combination of a new hotel and new event center (built in 2012) will allow the community to become a destination center.

"Increased tourism often has a trickle down effect," he noted. "If more people spend more time in Orange City, it has a positive impact on the city's restaurants, stores and any number of businesses."

That's certainly true for the community that's best known for its annual three-day Tulip Festival. The event, set for May 15-17 this year, allows the community to celebrate its Dutch heritage while thousands of out-of-town tourists join in the festivities.

Hofman said the new hotel will potentially position Orange City as a destination city all year long, not just during the Tulip Festival.

Parties, weddings and much more

At least that's the hope of Doc Van Leeuwen, general manager of the Prairie Winds Event Center.

A longtime Orange City resident who was hired to run the $5 million event center in 2012, Van Leeuwen has an extensive background in the hospitality industry, including working five years at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Since opening its doors in June 2012, the 17,000-square-foot cultural and hospitality center has become a popular site for wedding ceremonies and receptions.

"I'm sure having the Hampton Inn next door will increase our business as well," Van Leeuwen said. "If we're hosting a wedding reception, it's very convenient having a nice hotel next door."

Which isn't to say that Van Leeuwen isn't already busy, especially on the weekends.

"Well, if you want a Saturday wedding reception here, that's gonna be tough," he said, for example. "We're pretty much booked for every weekend until November."

Van Leeuwen let out a laugh.

"Yeah, I know that's a nice problem to have," he said. "It's better to be too busy than not busy enough."

Big city accommodations in a small town

Still, it's the Orange City Development Corp.'s Marty Guthmiller who is most enthusiastic about the new Hampton Inn.

"When it's completed, this place will be very nice," he said, while giving a tour of the construction site. "I think people will appreciate the atmosphere and the ambiance of the facility."

They may also enjoy the Hampton Inn's new Olympic-sized swimming pool and earning honor points for staying in a Hilton-affiliated hotel.

"That's important," Guthmiller said. "People love to earn honor points when they're traveling."

Describing nearby points of interest, which include day care centers, medical buildings and the Blue Mountain Culinary Emporium, Guthmiller said he's proud of the economic development strides his town has made over the years.

"I think we have the best of both worlds," he said. "We have terrific accommodations in the new hotel and event center, but we also have the friendly hospitality that you can only get from a small town."