Oxford City Council is expected to pave the way for a ninth hotel within city limits with a vote June 6 to annex to the city a parcel of land next to the Millett Hall parking lot. 

A limited liability company called the Oxford Hotel Group, represented by the Prince Alexander architecture firm of Indianapolis, has proposed building a Fairfield by Marriott on the property, which would be located at 525 N. Campus Ave. The land purchased for this hotel is contiguous with Miami University property.

Plans call for 92 hotel rooms but no pool, restaurant or bar. 

The new development aims to bring visitors closer to Miami’s campus and sporting events and make it easier to stay in Oxford during busy visiting periods.

If the annexation measure passes, Oxford will extend water and sewage services to the property and gain jurisdiction over the land. The city expects to earn revenue from hotel taxes, property taxes and income taxes from jobs both during and after construction of the hotel.

The Fairfield Inn would bring in similar tax revenue to the city as its other eight hotels, said City Manager Doug Elliot. In the 2022 fiscal year, hotels in Oxford brought in over $555,000 to the city in “hotel tax” revenue alone, he said.

According to Elliott, the measure will likely pass, though the timeline for construction and completion remains unclear. 

“I think it would be good for the city,” Elliott said. “When there are large events here, which happen frequently, we have visitors that are forced to go to hotels outside the city.”