Private Hotel Will Attach to University Hospital

BIRMINGHAM, AL-Noble Investment Group of Atlanta is developing a 122-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel that will connect via skywalk to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital and Medical Facility. Scheduled to open in 2005, the $11-million project is the first new hotel to hit downtown Birmingham in 15 years.The hotel will connect to the hospital’s new $375 million expansion, which is scheduled for completion this summer. As part of the relationship with UAB, the hotel will be the “Official Hotel of the University,” meaning it will be the recommended hotel for university events, such as continuing education programs at UAB, medical seminars, alumni gatherings and fundraisers. The six-story hotel will be located at 1820 5th Avenue South. It will have a street-front bistro restaurant and 2,200 sf of meeting space. In addition to serving the needs of the University and the hospital, the hotel is located in close proximity to the airport, and Noble is anticipating it will be a significant amenity for business and leisure travelers visiting Downtown Birmingham.Noble Management Group and its majority-owned affiliate Alliance Hospitality Management operate luxury, upscale and all-suite hotels primarily affiliated with Marriott International, Hilton Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group. The duo’s ownership and management portfolio encompasses 8,844 rooms in 62 hotels located throughout the United States.