NATCHEZ — The convention center hotel is no longer a Country Inn & Suites, a sudden change that has piqued the curiosity of Mayor Jake Middleton.

Convention Center Director Walter Tipton, who also manages the hotel, said the decision to change the name to the Natchez Grand Hotel makes sense.

“We’re excited about that,” he said. “It fits the unique character of our town and will drive people to our destination.”

Country Inn & Suites signs located on both corners of the hotel were removed Monday, and the sign on the face of the building was removed Friday, Tipton said.

Tipton said press releases and letters of notification are being sent out to customers and those who have already booked a room.

“This is a name change only,” he said. “There’s no change in management, ownership.”

Warren Reuther, whose company New Orleans Hotel Consultants manages the hotel, said the name change was a positive move, and he said it has nothing to do with the former franchise.

“We just think the Natchez Grand Hotel is a much nicer name,” he said.

He said it has nothing to do with franchising costs, and he said the franchise did not drop the hotel.

“It was our decision 100 percent,” he said.

The hotel is built on land purchased from the city, and it received tax breaks from the city and county.

Some city officials said they were left in the dark about the name change.

And Middleton wants to review previous contracts to see if there are any violations.

Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis said members of the previous board of aldermen wanted a franchised hotel.

“We wanted to make sure whatever was built on that site would be quality, and that convention-goers would stay in (it) and be comfortable with (it) by recognition of name,” she said.

She said the board was interested in names like Hilton, Marriot and Hampton.

But she couldn’t remember whether the board put its requests in writing.

Middleton, who was serving as an alderman at the time, does not recall, either, but he agreed a franchise is what they wanted.

“That’s what we were looking for,” he said. “You don’t find a lot of people who will build a hotel without some flagship name. It’s just a lot easier to work with.”

Middleton plans to dicuss the matter and review the contract today at a previously planning city work session.

“(City Attorney Everett Sanders will) investigate that pretty quickly and see if there was something in the contract on that. That’s all we can do at this point,” Middleton said.

Former city attorney Walter Brown, who is a signatory on the contracts, said the name change does not violate or change any terms of the contract.

While Mathis and Middleton both said having that name recognition was a good thing, Reuther said he sees no pitfalls in losing it.

“I don’t think we would have made the change if we felt the name recognition would have hurt us,” he said.

New etched granite signs are currently being made at Sign Graphics and will be placed on brick foundations sometime this week.

The awning on Broadway Street will sport the new logo, Tipton said.

Sign applications have already been made to and approved by the Natchez Planning Department, City Planner John “Rusty” Lewis said.

A billboard touting the new name appeared late last week on John R. Junkin Drive, and Tipton said the remaining four billboards are in the process of being changed.