KEYT – KCOY – KKFX
08/08/16

Hotel Boom Expected to Increase Employment in the Central Coast
By Amanda Valdes

http://www.keyt.com/news/hotel-boom-expected-to-increase-employment-in-the-central-coast/41107078

LOMPOC, Calif. – Construction at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lompoc is in full swing.

“Lompoc hasn’t seen a hotel development in over 30 years this is the first hotel being build since the 80’s,” says Gilda Cordova, Lompoc Land Holdings.

For people driving by they can see the beams are up and so is the wooden frame outlining where each room will be.

“There’s a need in the market to have something newer, fresher, to service full service guests and people coming in with tourism,” says Cordova.

She says the hotel will also bring more jobs to Lompoc. A total of 120 to 125 jobs are expected once the project is complete.

“It’s a great opportunity to go out into the community and reach those people looking for a job,” says Cordova.

We have the highest unemployment in the county and to bring 100-125 jobs to Lompoc is tremendous,” says Ken Ostini, CEO and President of the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce.

However, construction is not only happening in Lompoc. There is also a Hilton Garden Inn being built in Goleta.

A recent study done by the Atlas Hospitality Group in Orange County, shows a boom in construction for hotels across the state.

Stephanie Rivera works at The Bookstore just across the street from where the hotel is being built. She anticipates the hotel will bring more business to the bookstore, “we get a lot of walk throughs from Embassy Suites from the Enterprise so another hotel here people on vacation want more books.”

Cordova says construction for the hotel should be completed by March 2017.