As colleges across the Southeastern Conference continue to mobilize to boost the quality of life for current and prospective students, visitors, Mississippi State, and its host town of Starkville have taken a major step to connect the university to the city to enhance the guest experience.
Construction formally began Thursday on a hotel that will anchor development of the new Crossroads District between the university’s campus and the city’s Cotton District. Hotel Madelon will be a 122-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel, which will include a full-service restaurant and a rooftop bar. The hotel is scheduled to open in summer 2027.
The district it will anchor, including entertainment, restaurant, housing, and additional parking venues, will be developed over several phases.
“This groundbreaking represents the vision we have for our university and our hometown to be the very best they can be. Hotel Madelon will provide guests and visitors with an unmatched experience and be the catalyst that drives the development of future phases of the Crossroads District,” Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum said.
“What we are embarking upon today will enhance the quality of life and create new and exciting economic opportunities for decades to come. I’m very proud that our university is once again leading the way as we strive to serve this community and the great state of Mississippi.”
Hotel Madelon, named in honor of the university’s original fight song, will be a boutique hotel, celebrating the legacy of Mississippi State and the culture of Starkville. The hotel is being positioned on a prime site that aims to offer campus views and an overall design that will attract both visitors and locals.
Tribute Portfolio hotels are known for their story-driven designs, offering experiences rooted in the personality and history of their destinations. Hotel Madelon will combine MSU’s traditions, Starkville’s arts and culinary scenes, and the region’s rich cultural heritage into its design and guest experiences.
The hotel will be managed by Charlestowne Hotels, a leading hospitality management company known for operating distinctive, award-winning properties across the country. Charlestowne brings decades of experience in collegiate hospitality to the role.
The Crossroads District will lie between the university campus and the Cotton District, bounded approximately by University Drive on the north and Highway 12 on the east and south. It will feature a pedestrian land bridge connecting guests to campus across Highway 12 and create a smoother transition between the university and city communities.
“Hotel Madelon is the anchor that will set the tone for the Crossroads District,” John Rush, president and CEO of the MSU Foundation, said. “It will share some of the most familiar parts of our story, the parts that bring people here and bring people together. It will be a brand new place that feels like home to a guest from the moment they arrive.”
The district’s location between the university and the Cotton District is expected to be a coveted destination for the roughly 3.5 million visitors who flock to Starkville each year for ballgames, events, conferences, and other tourist attractions.
