Owner of Destroyed Cave City Hotel Plans to Rebuild

Cave City Mayor Bob Hunt is looking forward to the economic boost he's expecting from the building of a new hotel at the site of last year's Comfort Inn fire.

Last November, the State Fire Marshal's Office determined the accidental fire that destroyed the hotel on Mammoth Cave Street started in the area of a ventilation fan in the attic.

No one in the 17 occupied rooms was injured, but the damage was estimated at $2 million.

Now, rebuilding may soon be on the way.

It's the summer season in Cave City.

For tourist stops like Guntown Mountain, it's time to entertain.

"Entertainment to this area is really our livelihood," explains Mayor Hunt.

During the area's last off-season, Cave City experienced a set-back.

A fire wiped out the second floor of Vick Patel's Comfort Inn.

"November 14, two at night, I received a call from my desk clerk that there is a fire going on at the motel," Patel remembers. "I don't wish for anyone to go through this thing."

Mayor Hunt says the effect on the area runs deep, with Cave City needing places to stay for tourists coming down I-65.

"If you can't put people to bed, and they can't stay, that means they move on," he says. "They're here for a shorter period of time."

Patel says the area won't be bare for much longer.

He's unveiled plans to build a new 61-room Sleep Inn and Suites at the old spot to be opened in the spring.

"Thank God, thank God," Patel remarks. "It's going to have a fresh look, upscale. For the city of Cave City, it'll be a very good asset to the community, and we're excited about that."

The Cave City Tourism Commission and Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a groundbreaking on the hotel Tuesday morning at 10 at 801 Mammoth Cave Street.