OzarksFirst.com
April 13, 2011
(Springfield, MO) — There’s a new place for out-of-towners to stay when they visit the Ozarks. The new Hilton Garden Inn has been open just under a month on Springfield’s south side. It officially opened March 15 and is about to become Missouri’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified hotel. The manager says a geothermal energy system will eventually heat and cool the hotel’s public areas. The Garden Inn also has solar panels and a salt water pool. The manager says the hotel was built on the south part of Springfield in part because of the new 60-65 interchange. And there is also a lot of development in that area right now. “I think it’s a good time,” says general manager Michael Sorrell. “You know, we have other areas that can be developed with Houlihan’s south of us. You now see the orthopedic hospital coming in on Evans road. I see the growth is coming especially on the south end of town.” The planning process took about four years on this hotel.