POCATELLO — The Home2 Suites extended stay hotel that’s been under construction in Pocatello for more than a year is expected to open in October.

John Koehler, co-owner of The Koehler Organization, which owns the soon-to-be-open hotel, told the Idaho State Journal the plan is for the Home2 Suites by Hilton to be open early next month.

Koehler did not give an exact date for the opening because “it’s a moving target” with too many variables that could affect when the hotel opens its doors. Though he said the project is nearly complete and the hotel is only awaiting furniture shipments and “final touches.”

The Pocatello hotel will have four levels and six suites, which will all have bedrooms, kitchens and living areas. The hotel will have an indoor pool and hot tub, outdoor patio featuring a grill and fire pit, a fitness center, laundry units, a market and free breakfasts.

There is no minimum or maximum time for a guest’s stay, but the longer someone stays, the smaller the daily rate will be, Koehler said. The extended-stay accommodation will employ 25 to 30 full-time and part-time employees combined.

Construction for the hotel began in March 2020 just before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Koehler said the pandemic delayed the project quite a bit, causing it to take nearly double the time most of his company’s projects of this size tend to take.

The project has struggled to obtain materials for construction, and over the past several weeks has experienced delays when it comes to deliveries of furniture and linens due to lingering goods shortages from the pandemic and overwhelmed shipping ports.

“It’s been a long and frustrating process, but we’re very happy to be close to finishing and being open,” Koehler said, adding that he’s hopeful guests will like the hotel. “We have a pretty unique offering as an extended-stay hotel with services and amenities designed to accommodate longer stays. There aren’t a lot of hotels in town that have that.”

The initial price tag for the hotel was estimated to be about $6 million, but Koehler said the project saw “big cost increases” because of pandemic-driven challenges.

The Koehler Organization already has one hotel in Pocatello — the Hampton Inn & Suites — and owns 36 total hotels that are mostly in the western United States. The Home2 Suites will live at 2325 Via Caporatti Dr., which is near Jakers Bar and Grill.

Koehler said there’s no grand opening event scheduled yet for the Home2 Suites in Pocatello but that his company plans to host one when the hotel opens its doors.