NORTH HAVEN

The developers of a new Hampton Inn and Suites hotel are expecting the completion of the hotel in North Haven in May 2025, according to one of its partners.

The project received approval from the North Haven Planning and Zoning Commission in 2019, but its construction was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project is now underway with its first floor having already been completed, according to Vinay Patel, the owner of the project.

The hotel building will occupy roughly 62,000 square feet on a lot which is 2.4 acres in total at 700 Universal Drive, according to Patel. The interior of the hotel will contain 105 rooms, a swimming pool, and a complimentary breakfast area. One service which will be provided for registered guests is a shuttle picking up people from places of work and shopping. There is also a plan to install an electric vehicle charging station, which can only be used by guests, in its parking lot.

Patel said the hotel would offer a brand-new hospitality spot in North Haven with its new architectural design by Hampton, as well as a different place to stay than the Best Western Plus hotel. He added that the developers intended on bringing a new hotel to a suburb like North Haven, as opposed to a neighboring city like New Haven, especially given the limited available space in the latter municipality.

The developers main reason for the hotel’s placement at 700 Universal Drive is that its location would be optimal from intertwined business, traffic, and hospitality perspectives.

“It’s in a business district. It has lots of restaurants and a shopping area and, also, Medtronics is close by,” said Patel. “The location is between [Interstate] 91 and [Route] 15, so [there is] easy access.”

The hotel’s location and, therefore its ability to cater to people in business looking for a place to stay within a business district, was an additional major factor for its placement at 700 Universal Drive.

First Selectman Mike Freda agreed that the new Hampton hotel can provide more hospitality options for people in the corporate sphere needing a place to stay and do proximate business, as he previously informed The Courier in its Aug. 15 issue.

Aside from the Best Western, the Hampton Inn would also provide a place to stay for families of students at Quinnipiac University, said Patel.

Patel said the impact on traffic patterns should be of no concern considering that the hotel is distanced from residential districts and there is already regular heavy traffic flow in a business district.

“Most of the traffic is really gonna come in around three o'clock [p.m.], and people will be leaving early in the morning. Usually, people check out at 9, 10 o'clock [a.m.]. Especially, business people leave early—7, 8 o’clock [a.m.],” said Patel.