As Driver8 pointed out, this one is close to the road....really close. It appears, as PB mentioned and I agree, they are really targeting families with this one. I can imagine this being a late afternoon or early evening destination hike after a car ride from more populated areas. Drive up, park, hike an hour to the hut and you are in the woods. Lonesome Lake and Carter Huts are popular family destinations due to the easy hikes in, however this one will be half of that effort or less. It doesn't really serve as a base to hike deeply from since it's not far into the forest.
PB brings up a good point about other businesses in the areas and some sore feelings. I wonder what impact this would have - the lodging in Twin Mountain is a different price point than an AMC Hut I would think, but for those who would normally drive up and drop some money on a hotel in North Conway for the night where $100/night is easier to find, this hut may look good.
Personally, I think the hut system is a really unique and wonderful thing in the Whites (for the most part). I get far too claustrophobic in tight crowds at the end of a hike filled with solitude though, so I tend to fill with water at the huts, smile at people, and get on my way before too long.
I do question the proximity to the road though. It puts this hut in a category all its own in terms of making it attractive to hike to after a long drive. That may be by design, and this hut may be located to meet a different "need." Hopefully, the families will be careful heading up Willey.
The comments about thru-hiker accommodations are fairly non-committal I noticed. Maybe they will be planning another "dungeon" of sorts.
Anyone off the top of their head know the last hut built and the year?