Right now, nightlife Uptown is pretty restricted to the EpiCentre or 5th Street. If you look at other cities, they have their concentrations but also have some good spots all over their downtown area. This is what we lack as a city.

The Embassy Suites hotel is looking to change that by signing their first retail tenant. The hotel itself expects to open in August and it is bringing Suki Akor with it.

Located at Brevard and East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the hotel itself is a bit off the beaten path but it’s actually closer to the action than you think. Across the street from B-dub’s (Buffalo Wild Wings), down the street from Amelie’s Uptown and almost neighboring Fahrenheit, there is activity in this area that many underestimate.

The owner is the guy behind the immensely popular Pure Body Fitness; he understands the local market and wants to complement the overall vision of the hotel. That vision is to create a space that’s beyond a hotel, to cater to the locals and serve the guests.

The goal is to understand there is a massive market in Uptown and to create a comfortable place to hang out and enjoy the ambience.

The interiors are sleek. I love the mezzanine level, and the height of the ceilings of the place make it feel monstrous. The menu will be Asian fusion with a variety of hibachi/teppanyaki style dishes, seafood, noodles and more (for those of you saying uhhh Red Ginger is down the street, I thought the same thing but this is going for a totally different vibe).

The space is a little over 2,500 square feet and the hotel has one remaining 2,500-square-foot space. Between these two spaces, the Embassy’s SLICK hotel bar and the surrounding bars and restaurants, this area of town is establishing itself as a destination.

Just wait until the Stonewall Street corridor gets going.