Clarion Hotel Jonesboro (Hampton: hotels, mall, garden)

[Miami HurricaneZ]

Is the Clarion Hotel at I-75 South and Old Dixie Highway still around or did they finally knock it down? I stayed there in 1994 when it was still a Holiday Inn. I thought it was a dump back then and I read reviews within the last few years. The mid 2000's reviews were generally negative and generally advised the hotel was widely known for bed bugs. Any insight is appreciated.

[demonta4]

There are plenty of hotels in the area. Do you absolutely need to stay at that one?

[atler8]

The Clarion at that Tara Blvd. area location closed about 2 years ago. The last time I looked at it, it was still an empty building.
I don't know if the Clarion chain is even in business anymore.
There are a few decent-sized chain hotels right by the side of I-75 at the Jonesboro Rd. exit adjacent to the Southlake Mall area which is one exit south of the Tara Blvd. exit.

[Miami HurricaneZ]

Originally Posted by demonta4

There are plenty of hotels in the area. Do you absolutely need to stay at that one?

The Clarion at that Tara Blvd. area location closed about 2 years ago. The last time I looked at it, it was still an empty building.
I don't know if the Clarion chain is even in business anymore.
There are a few decent-sized chain hotels right by the side of I-75 at the Jonesboro Rd. exit adjacent to the Southlake Mall area which is one exit south of the Tara Blvd. exit.

Thanks for the replies. I'm a "hotel/travel buff" and am making a list of hotels I have stayed in. As far as I know, Clarion is still in business under the company "Choice Hotels" which includes Quality Inn, Quality Suites, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, ect. I'm glad the place closed and is empty. It was a dump 20 years ago when it was under the Holiday Inn brand. Most Holiday Inn's I stayed at during that timefram were pretty good. That was by far the worst I have ever stayed at. Hopefully they will knock it down.

[ATL Golfer]

Originally Posted by Miami HurricaneZ

Thanks for the replies. I'm a "hotel/travel buff" and am making a list of hotels I have stayed in. As far as I know, Clarion is still in business under the company "Choice Hotels" which includes Quality Inn, Quality Suites, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, ect. I'm glad the place closed and is empty. It was a dump 20 years ago when it was under the Holiday Inn brand. Most Holiday Inn's I stayed at during that timefram were pretty good. That was by far the worst I have ever stayed at. Hopefully they will knock it down.

What you experienced was the de-flagging of a nicer brand, to a lower tier brand. That is the life cycle of mid-scale hotels.

They start out as Marriott (Courtyards, Fairfields, etc), Hiltons (Hamptons, Hilton Garden Inn), and IHG (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, etc). These are what you call investment grade brands... Wall Street likes them (I'm being generous lumping in IHG).

When the property improvement plan "PIP" becomes too much for the hotel owner to keep the flag they forgo expensive renovations and re-brand the hotel to non-investment grade brand. Choice, Best Western, etc. Option A: I can spend $5MM and stay a Holiday Inn, or Option B, I can spend $1MM on a much smaller renovations and become a Clarion.

When it becomes one of those brands it will be a dump more than likely. That said, they still build new plenty of new Choice and Best Western and likes and they are nice. You just have to be careful about which ones you stay in.