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New lodging options for long-term visitors at Fort Bragg

By Stephanie Meador, posted Mar 20, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com

Centinel, in partnership with IHG Army Hotels, will host a ribbon-cutting for the new Fort Bragg Candlewood Suites on Tuesday, April 14, at 10 a.m. During this ribbon-cutting, attendees will have the exclusive opportunity for the first sneak preview of the Normandy House renovations, which will be finalized in fall 2026. 

This work reflects the strength of a long-standing partnership between Centinel Public Partnerships, IHG Army Hotels and Fort Bragg leadership under the Privatization of Army Lodging program, or PAL, which was founded in 2009. 

At Fort Bragg, these projects represent three years of work and an investment of more than $75 million. They are a strong example of how the PAL model works by combining private-sector investment and hospitality expertise with the Army’s mission needs to modernize lodging in a way that is thoughtful and responsive to today’s military guests.

“These projects expand the quality, range and flexibility of lodging options on post. The new Candlewood Suites adds a modern extended-stay offering, which helps meet the needs of military families, service members and government travelers who need comfortable, convenient accommodations for longer visits. Normandy House adds a distinctive lodging experience that preserves an important piece of Fort Bragg’s history while still meeting modern hospitality standards,” shared Executive Vice President of Asset Management at Centinel, Matthew Garrett. Garrett oversees Centinel’s Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program and renovations.

The new Fort Bragg Candlewood Suites will include 207 guest rooms and will become the 17th Candlewood Suites hotel in the PAL portfolio across Army installations nationwide. The hotel will offer a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites, designed to meet the needs of a wide range of guests, particularly those seeking a modern extended-stay option on post.

The new Candlewood Suites will provide amenities designed to support both comfort and convenience for guests. These include fully equipped kitchens, complimentary hot breakfast, a fitness center, business center, laundry facilities, an on-post shuttle, meeting space and weekly socials for guests.

Normandy House is being renovated to host guests while also preserving and celebrating its historic character. It will join the Historia Collection™, a specially designed PAL portfolio consisting of carefully preserved buildings of great historic importance to the Army and nation. Our goal is to preserve what makes the building special while introducing the modern enhancements today’s guests expect. In that sense, it will be both a lodging destination and a place that honors Fort Bragg’s history.

Normandy House was built in 1935 and is the oldest surviving Bachelor Officers Quarters on post. It is also eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Originally, it was constructed to house unmarried officers and included 20 suites, each with a living room, bedroom, bathroom and closet, along with a communal lounge and dining room on the ground floor. 

The building is located on the eastern edge of the Normandy Heights neighborhood. Normandy Heights was developed to house officers with families and, along with Normandy House, was built in the Spanish Revival architectural style, which features stucco walls, low-hipped roofs covered with barrel terra-cotta tiles and arched openings. 

The renovated Normandy House will include 15 updated guest suites, a redesigned lobby with restored finishes, a fitness center, hot breakfast, guest laundry, an updated HVAC system, and a memorabilia wall celebrating the legacy of Normandy Guest House and Fort Bragg.

“These improvements help strengthen quality of life on the installation. They demonstrate how public-private partnerships can deliver real results by preserving history where it matters, introducing modern standards where they are needed, and creating long-term value for the Army and its communities,” added Garrett.

One especially meaningful aspect of the Candlewood Suites project is that it was built on the site of the former Hardy Hall, a structure that was originally constructed on Fort Bragg in the 1960s. That makes this project a strong reflection of how Fort Bragg continues to evolve while honoring its history.

“Fort Bragg has been an important part of Centinel’s success for more than a decade, and we are proud to continue investing here. Together with IHG, Centinel serves more than 3.79 million residents and guests across the country, and every improvement we make is designed to strengthen their experience at the installation level. We are grateful for the trust of Army leadership, the support of the Fort Bragg community and the collaboration of IHG Army Hotels as we continue this work,” remarked Garrett.

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