Leva hopes his new property will open by early September. He will have 42 suites. The city of Beaumont lists construction costs at $1.3 million. Framing began last Friday and workers have erected most of the building’s skeleton.

On the western edge of the city at Interstate 10 and Walden Road, Jayesh Patel is looking further west for travelers to come to his new Super 8 motel when it opens in July.

That property will provide 36 rooms at a construction cost of $850,000, according to city building permit records.

Patel is hoping the Southeast Texas Entertainment Complex will generate demand for overnight lodging.

Together, these two new properties will increase the city’s hotel room inventory by 3 percent.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau counts 2,600 hotel rooms in Beaumont, spread among 24 properties.

Leva and Patel currently operate other hotel properties in Beaumont and seem to be bucking a downward trend in the hospitality business.

This past week, Leonard Clifton, general manager of the Holiday Inn-Atrium Plaza and vice president of the Golden Triangle Hotel-Motel Association, told the Chamber of Commerce’s economic analysis panel that the industry continues to experience a recession.

Clifton said hotel properties are just recovering to the occupancy levels they had before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

A general economic downturn, coupled with war in the Middle East and travel jitters have cut occupancy rates in Beaumont and the rest of Texas to about 64 percent.

The hotel business is important because it generates revenue for the city with room taxes and sales taxes, combining for $3 million in 2002, Clifton said.

Clifton predicted tough times for the local hospitality industry for at least the next 18 months.

Using a total of 2,700 available rooms in Beaumont, Clifton said that provides a million room nights per year.

To move the occupancy rate to 70 percent from the current 60 percent, Clifton said Beaumont would need 100,000 more visitors per year.

“I don’t see that demand generator yet,” he said. “It’ll take the entertainment complex two years to ramp up. Conventions are already booked through 2006.”

He said attractions such as the amphitheater, the Beaumont Drillers football team and the Beaumont Wildcatters hockey team will help to keep local money circulating in the economy rather than draw visitors here.

He said the complex’s softball fields and the exhibit hall will be the venues that draw out-of-town visitors for room nights.

John Hughes, marketing director for the entertainment complex, said when all venues are opened by 2004, the complex should draw a million visitors a year through 200 events.

Hughes said economic analysis data used in helping to design the complex did not include a prediction for hotel demand.

Given the current weakened demand, Leva said he can run his properties well and still make money with an occupancy rate of 64 percent.

“The entertainment complex will generate room nights,” Leva said. “Plus, the casinos near Vinton. This is midway. Beaumont is a good place to stop.”

Leva concedes the industry is experiencing tough times right now.

“Once the complex is open, with the hockey team and all that, we’ll have a healthier economy and occupancy,” he said.

Leva also operates a Holiday Inn Express in Winnie and the La Quinta Inn on Walden Road, which opened in November near the Holiday Inn-Atrium.

“The winter months are slower months. Hotel season peaks in June, July and August. I’m expecting 85 percent occupancy in those months,” he said.

Patel also operates an Econolodge and Budget Inn in Beaumont.

“Occupancy is not bad at all right now,” he said. “It runs 60 to 65 percent. We’re expecting more at the Walden Road site. I see more traffic in that area,” he said.

Neither Patel nor Leva think Beaumont is overbuilt for overnight lodging, but Patel said he has no plans for more properties in Beaumont.

“I don’t think we need any more in Beaumont,” he said.

City building official Don Burrell said he has talked with consultants to developers who are considering more hotels for Beaumont.

“There’s a lot of interest,” he said. “Consultants are making inquiries, but I haven’t talked to anyone specifically about private development near the entertainment complex.”