EB-5 Hotel Project: A US$800,000 Marriott Investment for a U.S. Green Card and Priority Processing
August 16, 2024 · EB-5 · 9 min read
With a prime location, the backing of the Marriott brand, and a fast-growing ski tourism market behind it, this EB-5 hotel project at the Steamboat Springs ski resort offers investors and their families a well-structured route to a U.S. green card.
With a prime location, the backing of the Marriott brand, and a fast-growing ski tourism market behind it, this Marriott hotel project at the Steamboat Springs ski resort offers investors and their families a well-structured route to a U.S. green card.
According to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), the U.S. ski industry contributes more than US$20 billion to the economy each year and supports over 600,000 jobs. Colorado’s ski resorts, widely regarded as the premier skiing destination in the United States, play an important role in the national winter economy and also attract capital from large companies and corporate groups.
Located in America’s ski capital
After the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for outdoor activity rose sharply, lifting visits to U.S. ski areas to a record 65.4 million in the 2022–2023 season. The previous record had been set just one year earlier, in the 2021–2022 season, at 60.1 million.
Colorado is one of six states in the Rocky Mountain region tracked by the NSAA. The region’s 93 ski resorts recorded a record 28.1 million visits in the 2022–2023 season, more than 40% of all ski visits in the United States. Colorado alone accounted for nearly 15 million.
Known for its exceptional snow quality, striking mountain terrain, a climate that extends the ski season, and easy access, Colorado’s ski areas — Steamboat Springs among them — rank among the leading destinations for skiers worldwide. Steamboat Springs is also known as “Ski Town, U.S.A.”, a favored training base for Winter Olympic athletes.
These strengths have helped the ski industry contribute US$4.8 billion a year to Colorado’s economy and support more than 46,000 year-round equivalent jobs, making the state central to the growth of the U.S. ski industry as a whole. They are also part of why ski resorts have become an attractive investment segment, drawing record capital of US$812.4 million in the 2022–2023 season — including from hotel groups entering the lodging market to meet rising travel demand.
Home to two of Colorado’s best-known and longest-established ski resorts, Steamboat Springs has become an ideal location for international brands developing hotel projects.
A presence from the world’s largest hotel group
Steamboat Springs has strong tourism fundamentals, most notably the Steamboat ski area, the second-largest in Colorado. Those fundamentals have made the city a magnet for international hotel brands — among them Sheraton, Hilton, IHG (owner of the InterContinental brand), and Marriott — all contributing to the regional lodging market. As visitor numbers grow, Marriott is further expanding its presence in Steamboat Springs with its newest project here: a 180-room, dual-branded property combining the SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites brands.
The hotel occupies one of the most sought-after sites in the area, adjacent to the Central Park Plaza shopping center, about three-quarters of a mile (1 km) from the Steamboat ski area and roughly two miles (3 km) from downtown. As of the time of writing in August 2024, it was scheduled for completion in early 2026 and will comprise 103 upscale resort-style rooms and 77 rooms offering standard amenities at more accessible rates for extended stays. The hotel will also include an on-site bar and restaurant, dedicated meeting space, and amenities such as hot tubs, a pool, a fireplace, and an outdoor fire pit.
Beyond the location, the hotel carries the global brand of the world’s largest hotel group, which today owns more than 1.53 million rooms worldwide. That affiliation is intended to bring discipline to investment, construction, and operations under Marriott’s service standards, supporting guest satisfaction and, in turn, the hotel’s trading performance and growth over time.
For EB-5 investors, this EB-5 hotel project at the well-known Steamboat Springs ski resort represents an attractive opportunity. The EB-5 capital is being raised by EB5 Capital, one of the longer-established regional center operators, and the project was underwritten through the firm’s own due diligence process. According to EB5 Capital, it is structured to prioritize both the investor’s path to a green card and the repayment of their capital. The project also sits in a rural area. Under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), that classification requires USCIS to prioritize adjudication of the Form I-526E petition, and it draws on the 20% rural set-aside within the annual EB-5 visa allocation. Both factors can shorten adjudication and visa wait times relative to unreserved cases. EB-5 capital must remain at risk under U.S. law, however, so neither approval nor repayment can be guaranteed, and timelines depend on USCIS processing and the Visa Bulletin.
Read more about the Steamboat Springs Marriott Hotels project here.
If you are considering a U.S. green card through the EB-5 immigrant investor program, contact IMM Group or leave your details below. Our experienced advisors will provide detailed guidance and help assess the prospects of your case. We are committed to keeping your personal data confidential and will use the information you provide only to advise on your family’s case.
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