Two new extended-stay hotels with a combined 236 rooms could open in south Medford by 2024.

Once built, they will add 8% more room capacity in Medford, which currently has 2,881 rooms available at 41 different lodging locations.

Choice Hotels, with 7,400 locations worldwide, has applied for building permits for the two hotels, which would be on a property located just east of Winco next to Interstate 5.

Everhome Suites would have 114 one- and two-bedroom suites. WoodSpring Suites would have 122 one- and two-bedroom suites.

Both hotels would feature kitchenettes, laundry facilities and a gym.

Medford has been on a roll recently attracting new hotels, with several others in the pipeline.

“We’re excited about the new development,” said Eli Matthews, president and chief executive officer for The Chamber of Medford and Jackson County.

He said he’s heard interest from other hotel developers eyeing the Medford area, with a hotel planned in the downtown and another next to the airport.

Occupancy at local hotels in July averaged 74.8%, and the average room rate was $132.69, he said.

The Choice Hotels project sits on property owned by Medford Hospitality Inc., which bought the almost 6-acre site just north of Barnett Road Aug. 31, 2022, for $6 million, according to Jackson County property records.

The land, formerly owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation, was once the location of the south Medford interchange before it was moved to its current location farther to the south.

According to documents filed with the city, the project would be built in phases, with Everhome Suites in the first phase, WoodSpring in the second phase and a coffee stand in the last phase, next to the existing Chevron Station.

Everhome Suites would offer full-size closets and other storage for long-term guests. Pet-friendly options are also available.

The company’s kitchens typically have full-sized refrigerators, dishwashers, stovetops, microwaves, cookware and counter space.

In 2022, Choice Hotels had plans to develop 30 Everhome Suites around the country.

There are 260 WoodSpring Suites hotels nationwide, and they feature full-size refrigerators, a two-burner stovetop and a microwave.

Access to the property would require extending Stewart Avenue where it intersects with Barnett Road. Other access is planned into the Winco parking lot, near the Royal Crest Motel.

Everhome, just off Barnett, would be the largest of the two hotels at 57,973 square feet, and Woodspring, which would be parallel to Interstate 5, would cover 48,660 square feet.

Stormwater retention facilities would be located on the northern portion of the property.

Other hotels have opened in recent years around Medford, including the Margaritaville Compass Hotel with 111 rooms on South Pacific Highway, just over a mile south of the two proposed hotels.

Choice Hotels already operates several hotels in the Medford area, including Comfort Inn on East Stewart Avenue and the another on Biddle Road.

Kelly Akin, Medford assistant planning director, said the permits for the new hotels are working through the approval process.

She said the project underscores the interest from developers who want to locate to Medford.

Akin said Lithia Driveway & Fields located at the south end of Medford has been a big tourist draw, pushing up interest from the hotel industry.

At the north end of Medford, the Rogue X sports park and aquatics center is 70% complete and is scheduled to open by January 2024. The year-round facility with indoor pools is expected to be a major draw for visitors.

One of the pools will offer 13 lanes for competitive events that will attract swimmers from throughout the region.

Located in Wes Howard Memorial Sports Park in northwest Medford off Ross Lane, the aquatics center and a recreation center the size of eight basketball courts are already sparking interest.

“Wes Howard is a huge draw,” said Akin.