The Courtyard by Marriott in downtown LaGrange held its official ribbon cutting to celebrate joining the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce Thursday.  The hotel was developed by Josh Chapman, president of Linco Properties, Ben Garrett, president of RA-LIN, and Nick Lakha, president of Paramount Hospitality. Chapman said they have managed multiple hotels together, and the one downtown is either their eighth or ninth they’ve done in the southeast.

“We’ve been working together for about ten years,” Chapman said. “Hotels are kind of like our children, so we love them all. This is always exciting when you open a new hotel.”

Chapman said this hotel stands out from others because it is a new generation of Courtyard by Marriott.

“There’s only a handful of these in the world with this design,” he said. “This has been new and interesting for us who’ve had this design.”

Bobby Carmichael, executive director of Downtown LaGrange Development Authority, said the new hotel will be a game changer for the downtown area.

“I’m confident that we have picked the best team and the best project that I believe will lift all of downtown for years to come,” Carmichael said.

Chapman said he’s appreciated the community effort for helping support the hotel.

“Really without everyone involved, the city, the county, this would not have come to pass,” he said. “I think it’s going to be great for everybody involved.”