MOUNT VERNON — If hosting family members from out of town isn’t your speed, look no further.
The brand new Hampton Inn, located at 1560 Venture Drive in Mount Vernon, is happy to house all those pesky relatives when they roll into town.
The Knox County Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the lobby of the new hotel on Thursday to welcome the new business.
This beautiful hotel represents not just an investment in bricks and mortar, but in people—our residents, our visitors and our growing business community
Mount Vernon Mayor Matthew Starr
Rama Tika Management manages the property, which is the newest prototype Hampton offers.
“We could not be more thrilled about having the number one prototype, the newest prototype of this Hampton in the heart of Knox County,” Gunj Chandat from Rama Tika Management said.
“We look forward to serving our guests and contributing to the growth of the town.”
Bed tax implications
The new hotel will also increase the funds raised from the city’s transient guest lodging tax, also known as the bed tax.
“The bed tax in the city of Mount Vernon is 3% and the county is also 3%, so that money is passed on to the person who’s staying here,” Starr said.
“It’s money that I can’t put into streets or anything like that, it’s only for the marketing and the hospitality efforts of the community.”
Some marketing and hospitality efforts in the community that Starr mentioned include things like the Mount Vernon Parking Company, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Woodward and the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival.
“Last year, 2024, had $180,000 in lodging tax and I think with the addition of this [Hampton Inn], we’ll probably be pushing $240,000; it’s going to be close to that,” Starr said.
(Below are a few photos from the first level of the new Hampton Inn. Credit: Jack Slemenda)
