BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI Representatives for a new convention center in Biloxi are lobbying local officials to enact tax incentives to lure a major hotel to the site, and they say Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has already expressed interest.
J. Mark Tobin of Hospitality Real Estate Counselors tells the Mississippi Coast Coliseum Commission that Sheraton has proposed a 500-key convention center headquarters hotel, according to a report in Sun Herald, a local newspaper. Sheraton has requested that the commission guarantee 60% occupancy for 10 years at an ADR of US$150, according to the newspaper.
The organization plans to soon send out requests for proposals to other hotel companies and developers.
A spokeswoman for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Sheraton’s parent company, declined to comment to HOTELS about the report.