Groundbreaking held for hotel portion of River City Renaissance Project, work already underway

MASON CITY — A groundbreaking ceremony was held late this morning and work is already underway on the hotel portion of the River City Renaissance Project. The 88-room Home2 Suites by Hilton extended stay hotel will be part of the new Riverwalk District and connect to Music Man Square via the already constructed skywalk.

The city back in July entered into a development agreement with ES 2024 Mason City Hotel Associates, a limited liability corporation connected to Kinseth Hospitality Corporation, to construct the hotel.

Kinseth Hospitality’s Ben Kinseth says the company is excited to be a part of the River City Renaissance Project and says it was worth the wait.   “We have the world’s best hotel product in my opinion, in my family’s opinion, coming to this site. We’ve put a lot of thought into what would work here, what would thrive, and make this the best hotel site it could be. Of course, the city stepping up and owning the mall, there’s been a lot of steps to get to this point, we really appreciate the ground work that’s been laid by the community, and I think you’ll be very impressed when we get this hotel built.”

Kinseth says there is a demand for an extended stay-style hotel in Mason City.   “This is a Home2 Suites by Hilton, 88 rooms, and it’s really the modern-day hotel. It’s more than two hotels in one. You’re going to have a kitchen in every room, and foundationally it is an extended stay hotel with a full kitchen in every room. It will accommodate that extended stay demand, whether you’re staying 30 nights, 90 nights, a full year, this will function as a hotel you can stay long-term in, but the best thing about it, it’s still one night, it’s perfect for one night.”

When completed in about 18 months, it will be the first hotel opened in downtown Mason City in over 100 years, when the Hanford Hotel, which is now The Manor, was opened in 1922.

You can listen to today’s ceremony by clicking on the audio player below