As Walmart completes its corporate campus in Bentonville at a cost of more than $1 billion, one of the most interesting aspects of the massive project is an upscale hotel.

Cindi Marsiglio, who was Walmart's senior vice president for corporate real estate, said at the time the hotel was announced in 2022: "A lot has changed over six decades. But what has not changed is keeping our headquarters in our hometown. ... To better serve our associates in the field and other office locations, we knew it was essential to include a hotel on our new campus."

It will be an AC Hotel by Marriott. The brand has one other location in the state, in downtown Little Rock. The Bentonville hotel will have direct access to the Razorback Greenway. The five-story facility will have 153 rooms along with 6,000 square feet of meeting space and a rooftop lounge. Natural wood and stone will be used inside along with art installations. The hotel will be open to anyone who wishes to visit.

The AC Hotel is just one of a number of such facilities being built in booming northwest Arkansas. Benton and Washington counties have about 6,800 standard hotel rooms and 2,500 suites, only about 700 more than a decade ago. The explosive growth of the region has now led to a surge in activity by developers.

In late August, Motto by Hilton opened in downtown Bentonville. The 175-room hotel has a bike valet and storage. Indigo Road Hospitality Group of Charleston, S.C., opened........

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