ROCKINGHAM — Hampton Inn & Suites officially opened its doors Thursday, a long-anticipated addition that marks a new chapter for the city. The four-story hotel offers 87 high-ceiling rooms, 26 suites, a fitness room, pool, meeting space and connected rooms to meet the needs of visitors and the growing business community.
Vimal Kolappa, owner of the Hampton Inn, said the decision to build in Rockingham was driven by the city and county’s economic momentum and the demand for more lodging.
“I have a hotel in Laurinburg and I thought this was one of the good counties and cities open. The city was also very helpful and so was the county officials. I realized there was a need and now with Amazon coming here, there is definitely going to be a need here for hotels.”
Kolappa, who serves on the University of North Carolina Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, emphasized that cleanliness was a top priority for the hotel.
“The floors are mopped every day with disinfectant. That way, people can come here and feel guilty walking barefoot because the whole is sanitized. With the sanitary aspects with coronavirus still having its presence in North Carolina, you want to make sure its a very sanitary environment,” said Kolappa.
Beyond sanitation, Kolappa said the hotel was designed to feel more open and welcoming, with larger rooms and higher ceilings to enhance comfort.
“We’ve built our hotels at a better standard than other hotels. Because their bathrooms are big, we built it bigger. We built the rooms bigger, we built the ceilings higher, so that when people walk into a room, they look at the ceiling and they don’t feel claustrophobic inside the room.”
Kolappa credited community support for helping the project reach completion. He highlighted Richmond County Inspection Department Superintendent Tim Combs and the Richmond County Economic Development Department for their thorough and collaborative approach.
“They are a very good example of how an inspection department should be. Instead of hitting us in the heads with two by fours. They are very thorough in the inspection. They come in, look at things and tell us ‘hey, this won’t work, you need to change this. This is what you need to do.’ They’ve walked with us, and that was work that has made this place one of the safest places to stay because I would give all the credit to the county inspection department,” said Kolappa.
“I wish that kind of mentality prevails in other places to have built in other towns. Nowhere have I seen this kind of cooperation,” said Kolappa.
He also praised Richmond County Tourism Development Authority Executive Director Meghann Lambeth for her efforts.
“Super excellent in helping us and always was there to help us get this opened up. I would give a lot of credit to her on that because she was the one that connected us to people and say, ‘hey, you need to talk to this person,’ and she calls them in advance. She was extremely helpful,” said Kolappa.
Kolappa added that Rockingham City Manager Monty Crump was also instrumental in the process.
“When people are that helpful, we have to make sure that we commend them,” said Kolappa.
The project’s timeline was delayed due to the pandemic, Kolappa said, as labor shortages and restrictions slowed progress.
“Why did this take so long? Two and a half years of coronavirus. We couldn’t do anything. Nobody would come to work. After that, we had to get the people from various places to come and work. Once they all assembled here, we got to stand very quick,” said Kolappa. “I’m very happy that I’m opening at this time with all the businesses that are planning to come here.”
Looking ahead, Kolappa said the hotel’s mission is to provide hospitality to all who visit Rockingham.
“We are here to serve. We are here to serve the people. Our business is hospitality. We want everybody to come here and enjoy the hospitality of the staff, the buildings, the food and have a good time where they come and have a good experience,” said Kolappa.