Is the opening of a new AmericInn Lodge & Suites in Hailey an indication the city is becoming more of a tourist destination and not just a place visitors pass through on their way north to playgrounds in Ketchum and Sun Valley?
The general manager of the new 64-room hotel, Michael Frith, and Hailey city officials think so.
"It seems to be where Hailey is going," Frith said while giving a tour of the property last Friday. "Hailey is trying to grow into a destination of its own."
And having another lodging establishment in Hailey is sure to help local businesses in the city, he added.
"The more beds we have (in Hailey), the more people are here," Frith said.
What Frith has to say about the state of Hailey tourism is similar to that of Hailey city officials.
Among other things, Hailey City Administrator Jim Spinelli points to the new AmericInn lodge, the city's Fourth of July parade, Northern Rockies Folk Festival and live performances at the Liberty Theatre as just some of the reasons why the city has become a greater tourist destination in its own right.
"I think there are a lot of things that show we are a semi-tourist-oriented community," Spinelli said.
Having another hotel in Hailey will also benefit city finances, he said.
The passage of a local option tax by Hailey city voters earlier this year on May 23 included a hotel and motel room tax of 3 percent. The LOT's other taxes include a rental vehicle tax of 3 percent, a liquor-by-the-drink tax of 2 percent and a restaurant tax of 1 percent.
"We did count on this (the AmericInn lodge) when we estimated LOT revenue," Spinelli said.
The new AmericInn in Hailey has been under construction since September 2005. It's located at 51 Cobblestone Lane, behind a private residence on Main Street and across the street from Albertsons supermarket.
The lodge's rooms vary from standard to king-sized/whirlpool and two-room suites, several of which have expansive northern views all the way to Bald Mountain. In addition to its guest rooms, the lodge also has an indoor pool, fitness center, whirlpool and sauna.
Ketchum-based architect Tobin Dougherty designed the hotel.
The lodge is part of the AmericInn hotel chain, which has more than 225 locations open or under development in 23 states and is based in Minneapolis, Minn.
As late as last Friday, workers were still completing some last-minute touch-up work on the building's interior and exterior.
Still, the sense one takes away after walking through the new lodge is of its being nearly complete.
On Monday, Frith predicted a Thursday, Dec. 7, opening for the establishment as long as several building inspections scheduled for early this week went as he hoped they would.
"I think we can make it," he said.
Frith said the room rates for the lodge's upscale accomodations aren't completely determined yet, but admitted they'll be middle-of-the-pack as far as Wood River Valley pricing is concerned.
The lodge will employ between 16 and 18 employees once it's up and running, he said.
Frith predicted the lodge's clientele will include business and tourist travelers, "and of course the families of people in Hailey."
The Hailey AmericInn's 64 rooms will add significantly to the number of hotel rooms already available in Hailey. Altogether, the other three established hotels in the city have a combined total of 94 guest rooms.
In southern Hailey, the Airport Inn and Hitchrack Motel have 29 and eight rooms, respectively.
Aside from the AmericInn, the only other lodging establishment on Main Street in northern Hailey is the Wood River Inn, which opened in late 1998 and has a total of 57 guest rooms.
Standing in the nearly finished lobby of the new AmericInn property on Friday, Frith said he anticipates good things once the lodge is operating.
"I expect to be busy right off the bat," he said.
Photo #1: The general manager of the new AmericInn Lodge & Suites in Hailey, Michael Frith, shown here giving a tour of one of the rooms last Friday, expects to open the new hotel by Thursday, Dec. 7, pending the results of several building inspections that should be complete by today. The new hotel will have 64 rooms and employ between 16 and 18 employees. Photo by David N. Seelig
