Portland’s hotel construction boom shows no signs of slowing with a developer proposing another project, this time in the city’s West End.
Nate DeLois wants to put up a four-story building at 754 Congress St., with 46 hotel rooms and ground floor space for businesses and parking.

The proposed location is next to Tandem Coffee, on a section of Congress Street between Longfellow Square and Maine Medical Center.
DeLois was not available for an interview Thursday.
The proposed hotel, dubbed The Longfellow, would replace a disused gas station and convenience store. DeLois is one of the owners of The Francis, a 15-room boutique hotel and spa in a renovated funeral home directly across the street. He also is a partner in Bramhall Row, a luxury townhouse development behind that hotel.
DeLois’ new proposal will require review by city staff and approval from the Portland Planning Board.
The majority of the quarter-acre parcel would be taken up by the hotel, with access to the 17-space parking garage from Neal Street, according to a project description posted on the city’s public information website. A hotel lobby entrance would be on Congress Street with commercial space on the corner with Neal.
Developers have put up hundreds of hotel rooms in Portland in recent years to accommodate a growing number of tourists attracted to the city’s restaurants, culture and nightlife. The number of hotel rooms in the city grew almost 15 percent between 2012 and 2016, more than four times the national average, the planning board chairman said this year.
Even with all the new capacity, year-round occupancy rates were at 68 percent last year, just slightly above the national average. During winter months, occupancy dipped to 42 percent last year, but rebounded to least 88 percent occupancy in the height of the summer tourism season, according to data from STR, a firm that researches the hospitality industry.
The hotel construction boom concerns housing advocates who believe it can displace much-needed affordable and workforce residences. City Councilors in January voted to require hotel developers to build low-income housing or pay $3,806 per hotel unit.
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