Ground was officially broken for the new SpringHill Suites Marriott Hotel in Fraser located at the intersection of Rendezvous Road and U.S. Highway 40 on Aug. 6, according to a news release.

The all-suite hotel features 103 units and will be the first Marriott-branded hotel in the Fraser Valley.

Hospitality real estate investment and advisory firm, WalshDupart, and real estate development company, Koelbel and Company, have teamed up for this project. WalshDupart’s work is focused on the Rocky Mountain region and Pacific Northwest.

Koelbel and Company is familiar with the area as developers of other massive projects like Rendezvous, Grand Elk and Arrow in the Fraser Valley. The news release states that the company has owned the land for the new hotel project for more than 20 years.

The SpringHill Suites will have a custom interior and exterior design meant to represent the history of the Fraser Valley, with references to fishing and ranching industries. Other plans for the hotel include an outdoor pool that faces the Continental Divide, a fitness center and a bar open to the public.

Currently, the hotel is scheduled to open in early 2027.

President and CEO of Koelbel, Carl Koelbel, said that the company waited for the right opportunity and ideal partner to develop the land.

The release states that the new SpringHill Suites will fill a “much needed” niche for hotels in Grand County. The closest Marriott properties are located in Frisco and Steamboat Springs.

Koelbel and Company sees Fraser and Winter Park are highly valuable mountain destinations due to the area’s significant growth including the substantial investments planned for Winter Park Resort by Alterra, the resort operator, to improve snowmaking infrastructure, expand skiable terrain and add new base areas. These improvements, once completed, would make Winter Park Resort one of the largest ski resorts in Colorado.

Furthermore, Fraser’s proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake and countless wedding venues with no lodging made it a great candidate for the hotel’s location.

“In addition to year-round leisure demand generators, commercial growth in the Fraser Valley is significant, including the construction of a new hospital directly across the highway from the site,” the release reads.

Grant Dupart, principal at WalshDupart, said that he thinks this hotel will be an excellent investment due to the “minimal amount” of other high-quality hotels in the area. Dupart also gave thanks to the town of Fraser for its work in making the development a possibility.

The new hotel will be able to cater to a wide variety of travelers, from business travelers to entire soccer teams. SpringHill Suite units boast spacious suites with separate living and sleeping areas.