Dive Brief:
- High Hotels Ltd., a subsidiary of High Real Estate Group, has begun construction on a 140-room Tempo by Hilton in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, according to a Tuesday news release.
- Slated to open in October 2027, the wellness-oriented property located in Bethlehem’s SouthSide Arts District will feature public spaces for both work and socializing, per the release.
- The new-construction project marks the Tempo brand’s debut in Pennsylvania as it expands in the mid-Atlantic region. Last month, the brand arrived in Georgia with the opening of Tempo by Hilton Savannah Historic District.
Dive Insight:
Part of Hilton’s expanding lifestyle portfolio, Tempo by Hilton debuted in New York in August 2023 with a 661-room Times Square hotel. This was followed by an opening in downtown Nashville in early 2024.
More than 70 additional Tempo properties are under development, per Hilton. Other recent openings of the brand include in Raleigh, North Carolina; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Manassas, Virginia.
Tempo by Hilton SouthSide Arts District, located adjacent to the ArtsQuest Creative Factory, a five-story culture and community hub, joins the “vibrant, walkable district that anchors Bethlehem’s growing arts and cultural scene.”
The upcoming hotel is also close to SteelStacks, a 10-acre campus managed by ArtsQuest that hosts concerts and festivals throughout the year, as well as Lehigh University. Hospitality players have been betting on U.S. college towns, which experts have described as “recession-proof” in part due to their stable lodging demand.
Expected to create more than 50 jobs, the Pennsylvania hotel also “reflects continued investment in Bethlehem as a hub for corporate growth, higher education, and tourism, supported by an expanding visitor base across the Lehigh Valley,” per the release.
Furthermore, the development “represents a fully integrated High companies project,” with High Associates leading the land development and High Construction Company leading construction. The hotel is being designed by Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Greenfield Architects
