TAMPA PALMS - A hotel will open this month, bringing jobs and another lodging option to New Tampa.

The SpringHill Suites by Marriott, set to open Feb. 22, will feature 127 rooms - all suites with sitting areas and sleeper sofas, as well as either a king-size bed or two queen beds, said general manager Sarah Bates.

Other amenities include iPod home stations instead of alarm clocks, and two bathroom areas - one with a sink and shower, another with a sink and toilet.

SpringHill Suites, at 5396 Primrose Lake Circle, joins two other hotels in New Tampa that opened in recent years: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites and the Wingate Inn. Rates at the SpringHill Suites start at $109 a night.

Bates said the hotel is hiring for the front desk, housekeeping and reception. (Applicants can visit sun-companies.com. Click on careers.)

"Tampa Palms is a very nice area," Bates said. "It has a lot of shopping, lots of dining and is also very green. We felt (the area) needed something new and fresh and SpringHill Suites is definitely that."

Dong-Phuong Nguyen can be reached at nguyen@sptimes.com.