As construction of the fourth phase of Spring Prairie proceeds at a frenzied pace this summer, the 101-room Marriott SpringHill Suites has staked its claim as the first completed project in the 28-acre north Kalispell development.

The hotel cost $7.6 million to build, according to the building permit filed with the city of Kalispell. The overall cost was a roughly $10.6 million investment, including the construction, architect and engineering costs and furniture, an earlier Inter Lake story indicated.

Located at 250 Old Reserve Drive directly south of Costco, SpringHill Suites opened June 9. Reservations for July and August are already looking good, according to General Manager Lucy Weeder of Management Consultants.

“During the summer months we figure we’ll be near capacity,” she said.

Management Consultants of Butte is the management arm of the development partnership that included Bridgewater LLC, a real estate and development company based in Kalispell.

The Marriott SpringHill Suites is the third hotel property completed by the Bridgewater/Management Consultants partnership. Its other joint properties include a Best Western hotel in Shelby and a Hampton Inn in Kennewick, Washington.

“We’re excited to be here,” Weeder said. “We worked long and hard and got it done.”

The hotel was finished in just eight months, surpassing the industry average of a 12- to 16-month building project for a hotel of this size.

James Williamson, co-founder of Bridgewater, said he’s pleased the construction team was able to complete the job in about half the usual time.

“Bridgewater is thrilled to be part of releasing this hotel to the market to service an obvious demand,” he said. “We’re excited by the local economy and the future of Kalispell.”

Williamson said the Kalispell Core Area project and U.S. 93 bypass that’s nearing completion stand to position the Kalispell area well for future growth.

The amenities at the Marriott SpringHill Suites are wide-ranging and include a snack market in the lobby, hot-and-cold complimentary breakfast, fitness room, swimming pool, outdoor patio and a golf putting green. A 24-hour business center enables guests to print their boarding passes from their room and pick them up in the business center on the main floor.

Another interactive feature is a “digital canvas” that includes touch screens in the lobby that allow guests to check airline flights and weather and explore local activities.

There are two meeting rooms, one of which has an outdoor patio and a fire pit.

The room configuration includes 34 rooms with double queen beds and 67 with a single king-size bed and the option of converting a couch into a twin bed. Each room has a small refrigerator, microwave oven, coffee maker and either a wardrobe or closet.

A couple of rooms are equipped with roll-in showers.

The hotel will have a staff of about 30 people during the summer season, Weeder said.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com