AC Hotel by Marriott in downtown Huntsville now open

The first piece of the CityCentre development in downtown Huntsville is now open for business.

The AC Hotel by Marriott – the first in Alabama – announced Tuesday that it was now welcoming guests at its location at Williams Avenue and Monroe Street.

The hotel has 120 rooms over six levels and has blended itself into the Rocket City by adopting some historic neighborhood names. The facility’s three meeting rooms are named for former Huntsville mills: Lincoln, Lowe and Merrimack.

Together the three rooms have been tabbed The Gallery at Big Spring Park – an event space for more than 200 guests that overlooks the downtown park by the same name and, according to the hotel, is “perfect for wedding receptions.”

Later this year, the hotel will open The Veranda – the second-floor terrace bar overlooking the park and adjacent to the event space.

Developed by Doradus Partners in partnership with RCP Companies, the hotel was the 10th signed U.S. location for AC Hotels, a global joint venture with Spanish hotelier Antonio Catalan.

“We are delighted to introduce the AC Hotels brand to the Rocket City,” Srinath Yedla, President and CEO of Yedla Management Company, which will manage the property, said in the announcement. “AC Hotel Huntsville Downtown remains true to the brand’s philosophy and centers on a frictionless experience for on-the-go guests.”

The AC Hotel is part of a hotel boom ongoing in downtown Huntsville. Three other hotels have been announced in the vicinity of the Von Braun Center but have not yet started construction.

A second hotel is also planned for the CityCentre development, according to Huntsville city officials. That announcement could come later this year.