BWI/Marshall Airport expects to put a request for proposals out by the end of the year for a hotel that would be part of the terminal.
The move will follow a new master plan study that is looking at the best uses for the entire BWI campus and will wrap up soon.
BWI put an RFP out in 2015 looking for a partner to build an on-site hotel near the hourly garage with direct access to the terminal via a skywalk. The airport didn’t receive any bids, a fact BWI CFO Jim Walsh attributed to a soft market at the time and a lack of funding contribution from BWI.
BWI CEO Ricky Smith said it has now been determined an internal hotel is the best option based on feedback and practices at other airports. Airports in Boston, Detroit and Orlando also have in-terminal hotels.
“The question for us is where in the terminal is the best location and we are going through that process to determine that,” Smith said. “The hotel project is important for us and this master planning process allows us to do the proper site analysis.”
Smith said the previous RFP process showed the proposed site near the hourly garage was not appealing to developers and there was uncertainty around financing and engineering with the airport.