Homewood Suites by Hilton Opens First Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee

Located at 10935 Turkey Drive, the four-story hotel is easily accessible from either I-40 or I-75 and is situated near the downtown/University of Tennessee, Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge and Oak Ridge areas. Nestled in the East Tennessee plateau and surrounded by more than 3,500 acres of national parks and forests, the hotel also is within 15 minutes of at least 10 public and private golf courses. Nearby businesses and agencies include Alcoa, Boeing, Cisco Systems, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the United States Department of Energy.

The newly constructed hotel represents another addition to the growing roster of the more than 150 Homewood Suites by Hilton hotels.

"The need for hotels that cater to guests staying five or more consecutive nights greatly exceeds the available supply," said Scott Pejsa, general manager of the hotel.

"Our new facility has been created specifically to meet the special requirements of travelers who need to stay at a hotel for an extended amount of time and who may require specialized services and amenities, such as an executive business center, complimentary high-speed Internet access and complimentary grocery shopping service(a) by the hotel," Pejsa added.

This hotel offers residential-style studio, one-and two-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens and spacious sleeping and living areas that are large enough for work, study, entertaining or relaxing.

Other attractive guest amenities include a daily complimentary Suite Start(TM) hot breakfast in the hotel's hospitality center -- the "Lodge" -- a Welcome Home® reception(b) featuring a complimentary light meal and beverages Monday-Thursday evenings, complimentary high-speed Internet access, an executive business center and a 24-hour on-site convenience store.

Additional hotel amenities include an exercise room, outdoor pool, whirlpool and sports court. Each suite of the hotel has a fully equipped kitchen, featuring a microwave oven, full-size refrigerator, twin-burner stove, dishwasher and all the necessary pots, pans and utensils. Each suite also contains a remote-controlled television, an iron and ironing board, and two telephones with dual lines.

According to Lynn Prater, corporate director of sales and marketing for McKibbon Hotel Management, Inc., this hotel represents another "first" for the company as did a recent opening in Birmingham, Ala.

"While the Homewood Suites by Hilton Birmingham was McKibbon's first Homewood Suites and the brand's first property in that city, we're also very proud to say we now own and manage the first and only Homewood Suites hotel in Knoxville," said Prater. "We love working with the Homewood Suites brand and we look forward to having a long relationship with Hilton Hotels Corporation."

This assertion is further evidenced by the hotel management company's upcoming Homewood Suites openings in Florida slated for both Jacksonville and Gainesville later this summer.

"Brand support out of the Homewood Suites corporate office in Memphis has been great during our learning curve," added Prater. "McKibbon attended its third consecutive Homewood Suites brand conference this year and we confirmed we've definitely got the best of both worlds -- a strong, collaborative internal management team and a forward-thinking franchise partner."

Created in 1989, Homewood Suites by Hilton today has more than 150 hotels nationwide with another 85 in development. Beyond its spacious two-room suites and home-like amenities, Homewood Suites' guests can take advantage of the hotel's on-site Suite Shop® convenience store, exercise facility, and guest laundry. Guests also can enjoy a daily complimentary Suite Start(TM) hot breakfast and a Welcome Home® reception(b) featuring a complimentary light meal and beverages Monday-Thursday evenings in the hotel's Lodge. Additional guest services include a complimentary grocery shopping service(a) and a complete business center. Most Homewood Suites locations also feature a swimming pool and outdoor sports court.


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