Embassy Suites – Tuscaloosa, AL

AK Design Group provided interior design and FF&E procurement for the guest suites, corridors, lobby, registration, pre-function and meeting spaces of Embassy Suites by Hilton Tuscaloosa Downtown – a 147,000+ square foot, all-suite hotel in Tuscalooosa, Alabama. Situated in SEC country and steps from the University of Alabama campus, the property sits near the center of one of college athletics most iconic markets — a city that fills to capacity during the fall, where game weekends generate some of the most intense football games and hotel demand in the country.

For our Owner & Design Principal, Andrea Gillespie (a University of Alabama alumna), the project carried personal significance – a genuine appreciation the campus, hotel ownership, and the opportunity to contribute to a property in a market where she enjoys fond memories as an undergraduate. Engaged to deliver the owner’s design vision within a specific budget, AKDG applied strategic value-engineering across every FF&E selection and finish. The result is a refined, understated aesthetic that reflects the collegiate character of Tuscaloosa without relying on predictable and overplayed school graphics or colors.

The property was closed for several months to complete the comprehensive renovation and other repairs, with reopening timed specifically to capture student move-in for the fall semester and the premium football weekends that define Tuscaloosa’s peak season. To address the logistical challenges of downtown delivery, FF&E procurement was coordinated through a staging warehouse in Birmingham, ensuring product arrived on schedule for construction and FF&E installation, and the property reopened as planned.