Nearly a decade ago Cafaro, one of the nation’s largest shopping center developers and owner and manager of South Hill Mall in Puyallup, set their sights on opening a hotel at the center. With a prime location near the Washington State Fairgrounds, the Cafaro team was sure a hotel would be successful. According to Joe Bell, Director of Corporate Communications for Cafaro, “a hotel is a natural component of hospitality, and our shopping centers have been embracing the transition from being just a mall to being a destination for more than just shopping.”
With permits in hand and shovels practically in the ground, the project was halted in early 2020 due to Covid. Like so many industries, projects like the opening of a hotel came to a standstill at that time. But, with the vision still in mind Anthony Cafaro, Jr reignited the idea of a hotel once the pandemic had passed. The development team then set out to ensure permits were valid and partners from the hotel industry were still on board.
On August 19th, just in time for the start of the 125th Annual Washington State Fair, a brand-new Homewood Suites by Hilton opened. With an official Grand Opening celebration planned for November, this Homewood Suites by Hilton offers 109 units in a five-story structure on the northern side of the mall complex near the Regal Theaters. Each suite in this extended stay hotel features separate living and sleeping areas and a fully equipped kitchen.
“This hotel was the last missing piece for this center. Within our centers we like to have a great place to spend the night because so many visitors make shopping a part of their destination trips,” said Bell. Cafaro strives to offer all the details of life at their centers. “We want to be a destination for more people and provide all the elements they expect from hair salons to professional training and of course dining and hospitality are an enormous part of those expectations,” Bell added.
The opening of this new hotel is proof that vision and of course, tenacity pays off.
Learn more at Home | CAFARO.
By Lynn Castle