THOMASVILLE — After 18 months of construction, much community anticipation and meticulous preparation, the Courtyard by Marriott Thomasville Downtown hotel expects to receive the first guests Wednesday.

Employee activity was in full swing at the hotel on a recent morning in preparation for the guests. Some employees tended to cleaning large spanses of glass, while others were busy at their work stations, and others met in groups. Final cleaning and Marriott training was in progress.

Guests will enter the 66,000-square-foot building from a portico on the south side of the structure at South Dawson Street and Remington Avenue.

“We have many groups and other reservations already booked,” said Jeremy Emmett, chief executive officer of Southern Lodging, the local company that owns the hotel.

The reception area, illuminated by natural light, spills into the bistro, where guests may partake of offerings at the bar, at tables or in the nearby courtyard, which has a fire pit visible for the bistro.

The bistro, which will serve Starbucks coffee, will be open to the public from 6 to 10 a.m. and from 5 to 10 p.m. 

“You can have coffee on the front porch or cocktails near the fire pit,” Emmett said, adding that the bistro is an amenity for guests and available to the public during certain hours.

Artwork is prominent on walls throughout the first floor.

“It’s local and original in conjunction with the Center for the Arts,” Emmett said.

He said the art collection will be refreshed periodically.

The hotel has a pool and an event lawn. Emmett said shrubbery surrounding the event lawn will create a private spot for luncheons, wedding receptions and even weddings.

The four-story hotel — an $18 million investment — has 106 rooms. Views from guest rooms take in downtown Thomasville sites, including church steeples, the courthouse cupola, water tower, some downtown businesses and various street scenes.

Big-screen televisions in guest rooms are capable of showing guests’ own streaming service capabilities, such as Netflix. Local restaurants’ menus and locations will be displayed on television screens.

Cabinets in rooms conceal a refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave oven.

A collaborative center on the first floor can serve as a small board room with a screen for presentations. An area near the board room provides a computer and printing capabilities.

The hotel’s fitness center offers cardio, free weights, resistance machines and space for yoga.

Instead of an exterior traditional trash receptacle enclosure, the hotel has an in-house trash compactor. A collection service will remove compacted debris.

At the entrance of the hotel is the Will Watt Memorial Fountain. Watt started the Georgia Rotary Student Program after World War II.

Emmett said the hotel is equipped with plexiglass barriers and hand sanitizer. Employees wear masks, and social-distancing and hand-washing are in force.

Courtyard by Marriott Thomasville Downtown employs 43 — a number Emmett said will increase. Employees’ duties include housekeeping, engineering, bistro cooks and bartenders, sales, front office and management. 

A hotel grand opening will be conducted later.

“We said we would build something Thomasville would be proud of,” Emmett said, “and we think we did.” 

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820