La Quinta Inn & Suites Sebring wins award

Privately held Liberty Group of Companies announced that its La Quinta Inn & Suites hotel in Sebring has won the Florida Governor's Business Diversification Award for exceptional contributions it has made toward statewide economic diversification.

The award recognizes successful job creation and distinctive community involvement and investment efforts throughout Florida. Liberty Group's second hotel development in Sebring opened in October 2009 under the leadership of General Manager Sherry Bartley and her team of hospitality professionals. The award will be presented by Gov. Charlie Crist to Liberty Group President Punit R. Shah on Sept. 22 in Tallahassee and featured in Florida Trend magazine.

"Our decision to develop the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Sebring was based on numerous economic factors that demonstrated the strength of Highlands County and the Sebring market," said Punit R. Shah, president of Tampa Bay-based developer Liberty Group of Companies. "This hotel, along with our previous Holiday Inn Express hotel development in Sebring, has created new full-time employment to Sebring residents and a strong tax base that will continue to benefit the city for decades."

Situated on US 27 South, the new 39,000 square-foot property with 77 guest rooms and suites is the second hotel development in Sebring by developer Liberty Group of Companies. With the addition of the new La Quinta Inn & Suites in Sebring, the Liberty Group of Companies has brought more than 140 new hotel rooms to Sebring including their 2006 development of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Denny's restaurant on US 27 North. Future development plans for the site also include a similar quick-service restaurant to be located along the frontage of the property.