Work to begin soon on Hampton Inn & Suites on Antelope Rd.

The property has been graded and is ready for construction of the Hampton Inn & Suites. (Staff photo)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Work will begin soon on construction of the Hampton Inn & Suites, a 4-story, 71-room hotel to be located next to the LA Fitness health club on Antelope Road in Menifee.

The 1.6-acre site has recently been graded and “they are expected to start construction soon,” said City of Menifee Public Information Officer Phil Southard. This project represents the last phase of construction in the Menifee Lakes Plaza, a commercial center that also includes Baron’s Market, a Chevron gas station, a bank, retail offices, and several dining establishments. A Richie’s Diner has been approved to occupy a vacant retail pad and is in the planning process with city officials.

Plans for the hotel were approved by the city’s Planning Department in November 2022 and was announced to the public in October 2023 at the State of the City address by Menifee officials. Revised plans were approved March 6, Southard said.

According to city documents, the hotel will include a fitness room, dining area, meeting facilities, and a pool/spa. The project was designed by Arris Studio Architects of San Luis Obispo.

The 2023 announcement about the approval of Hampton Inn & Suites included two other hotels that were reportedly in the planning stages. There is no update on the status of a Holiday Inn & Suites planned for the Shops at Scott center at Scott Road and Zeiders Road. The third was a Hilton Home2Suites hotel planned for what is now a parking lot behind Living Spaces on Antelope Road.

That project stalled in 2024 when attorneys for Living Spaces filed a lawsuit against Apollo VI Development, citing a decades-old document that stated no tenant of that commercial center was allowed to have “any living quarters, sleeping apartments, or lodging rooms.” Court records show there have been several delays in that lawsuit, which still is unresolved.

The only luxury hotel completed so far in Menifee is the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Menifee Town Center. It opened in the fall of 2020.

Design graphic shows the location of the hotel site in the Menifee Lakes Plaza.