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Another Hotel Planned for Wilkes-Barre Township

WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — “I mean I don’t believe there’s a hotel room to be found.” That’s how Theodore Wampole, the executive direc...

WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- “I mean I don't believe there's a hotel room to be found.”

That's how Theodore Wampole, the executive director of Visit Luzerne County, describes the current availability of hotel rooms in the area.

With two major events taking place, hotels are booked.

“I mean between the Indy car race up at Pocono and the fact that the Jehovah's Witnesses are in town, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a hotel room,” Wampole said.

Now, Wilkes-Barre Township Zoning office showed Newswatch 16 these plans for a 4-story residence inn coming to this plot between the interstate and the Mohegan Sun Arena. A prime spot that has been empty since the arena was built.

Organizers for the Love Never Fails convention for Jehovah's Witnesses at the arena this weekend say that would help tremendously.

“Sales director there will probably be one of the first ones we call to tell them our plans to go talk to them about our goals for being here in the Wilkes-Barre area,” Robin Hoffman of the Love Never Fails Convention said.

People responsible for finding hotel rooms for the convention's guests tell Newswatch 16 there were not enough here in Wilkes-Barre township, they had to look elsewhere.

“So, because of how busy it was with all the events going on in August, we did have to go all the way to Allentown even beyond Allentown, some of our properties had up to a 75-minute drive for our delegates,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman says Wilkes-Barre township is a great hub for travelers and another hotel will help keep it attractive to event-goers

“Everything is really accessible, and our friends are really enjoying it,” Hoffman stated.

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