A new hotel is coming to Mayfaire. Here's what to know
There’s a new hotel in the works near Wilmington’s Mayfaire.
Developers submitted plans earlier this month to the city of Wilmington for a 139-room Marriott-brand hotel. The proposed inn would take the place of a long-vacant building that once housed barbeque chain Smokey Bones and an off-shoot of downtown Wilmington’s Front Street Brewery.
Plans for the Element by Marriott-branded hotel include six stories with 15,797 square feet of space, according to site plans submitted to the city of Wilmington for review. A pool and courtyard are also planned for the hotel, which is proposed for 1055 International Drive.
The 1.75-acre lot is zoned for mixed-use development, which means a rezoning isn’t needed for hotel plans to move forward. The land is owned by Mayfaire Town Center LP, according to New Hanover County property records.
The 7,202-square-foot building that currently sits at 1055 International Drive was built in 2004 to house the Smokey Bones barbeque restaurant, which was there until May 2007. That month corporate owner Darden Restaurants Inc. announced the closing of dozens of chain locations nationwide.
In 2008, the then-owner of Front Street Brewery opened another restaurant called Main Street Brewery in the building, but it was short-lived. The building has been vacant since.
Over the years, the building's parking lot has hosted various outdoor events, including a traveling Vietnam veteran memorial wall in 2019, an annual Christmas tree lot and an open-air cycling studio that opened in 2020.
The new hotel will join at least two other Marriott-branded hotels in the vicinity of Mayfaire and Landfall. A Residence Inn by Marriott is located on Culbreth Drive and Springhill Suites by Marriott is located on Ashes Drive. Two other Hilton-brand hotels are also in the vicinity.
The Element brand is aimed at extended stay travelers, according to Marriott, with a focus on a natural aesthetic. “Element has redefined the longer stay experience with an outdoor-inspired design philosophy that is clean, modern, and bright,” according to the company’s website.
All rooms will be fully equipped with a kitchen and the hotel brand offers complimentary breakfast and an evening reception. Element-branded hotels also include a “Bikes to Borrow” program that allows guests to borrow and use hotel-owned bikes.
Reporter Emma Dill can be reached at edill@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Marriott hotel planned for Mayfaire in Wilmington
