HICKORY AND ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — Piedmont Center Associates, under a license agreement with Atlanta-based InterContinental Hotels Group, has re-opened a Holiday Inn Select as a Crowne Plaza, after a $2.5 million renovation. The 200-room hotel, located at 1385 Lenoir Rhyne Blvd. in Hickory, features a restaurant and lounge, an indoor pool and fitness and business centers. The renovations included adding a bar to the lobby and outfitting guest bathrooms with wider showerheads and roomier showers. As part of the renovation, many of the hotel’s furnishings were purchased from local manufacturers, and a modern art sculpture will be commissioned for the lobby.
In Rocky Mount, The Generation Cos., under a lease agreement with InterContinental, has opened an 83-room, environmentally-friendly Candlewood Suites, located 688 English Rd. Green amenities include low-flow shower heads and toilets, compact fluorescent lighting and sodium vapor fixtures. The hotel also includes free high-speed Internet and a 24-hour fitness center. The opening marked the opening of the brand’s 200th hotel.