Newsroom

CORVALLIS - The construction of a Hilton Garden Inn hotel on the Oregon State University campus will take about a year to complete and result in a facility that is ideally located, complements OSU's other conference facilities, and has an upscale, recogn izable name.

The four-story Hilton is being constructed on the southern end of the OSU campus on a 3.5-acre site on Western Boulevard in Corvallis. It is across the street from LaSells Stewart Center and the CH2M-HILL Alumni Center, which combined have 80,000-square feet of conference space.

And, as OSU athletic fans will note, the Hilton is across the street from Reser Stadium and Gill Coliseum, which offers intriguing possibilities for special events, concerts and other gatherings, as well as lots of parking.

The Hilton Garden Inn initially will have 127 rooms, with the potential to expand to 154 rooms in the future. The new inn will feature a full restaurant and lounge, an indoor pool and a spa. The rooms will follow a Hilton pattern, offering on-demand movi es, video games, and interactive guest services. One of those services is high-speed Internet access, which is essential for attracting conferences.

"It will be a beautiful, top class facility that will fit neatly into OSU's conferencing complex, and even match the brick designs of many of the university's buildings," said Douglas Dreher, executive vice president of The Hotel Group, Inc., a hotel man agement and investment company based in Edmonds, Wash., that will manage the new facility.

"OSU and Corvallis have waited a long time for this hotel," Dreher added. "We plan to make it worth the wait."

Among the conference facilities Oregon State will be able to offer on campus:

Hilton Garden Inn

• 127 rooms that will include on-demand movies, video games and high-speed Internet access;
• VIP suites, room service, and a lounge area;
• An on-site restaurant that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner;
• An indoor pool and spa;
• A gift shop featuring OSU merchandise; A guest library and business center.

LaSells Stewart Center

• A 45,000-square foot performing arts and conference center;
• Austin Auditorium, with a seating capacity of 1,200;
• A smaller auditorium that seats 250;
• Several meeting rooms, including the Weyerhaeuser boardroom;
• An art gallery and exhibition space;
• A covered walkway to the CH2M-HILL Alumni Center;
• Dressing rooms and lounges for performers.

CH2M-HILL Alumni Center

• A 45,000-square foot meeting and conference center;
• A ballroom/banquet room that seats up to 600;
• An executive boardroom and numerous meeting rooms;
• A large patio and lawn for outdoor events; and a large lobby for exhibits;
• An 1,800-square foot catering kitchen;
• Amenities including stone fireplaces, bay windows, skylights and artwork.

Other Campus Meeting Facilities

• " The Memorial Union, 172,000-square feet that includes meeting rooms, a 400-seat ballroom/banquet room, a main lounge and breakout rooms;
• " The Valley Football Center, a 168-foot by 35-foot banquet room overlooking Reser Stadium, with large screen televisions;
• " Milam Auditorium, which seats about 700;
• " Gilfillan Auditorium, which seats 300.