After months of work and equal amounts of preparation, the city of Hailey's newest lodging establishment is open and ready for business.
The new Hailey AmericInn Lodge & Suites officially opened its front doors to travelers on Thursday, Dec. 14.
"The new lodge and suites is a great fit for the Hailey area," the hotel's General Manager Michael Frith said. "We look forward to providing the local community with exceptional lodging hospitality."
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 in northern Hailey and across state Highway 75 from Albertsons supermarket.
The lodge's rooms vary from standard to king-sized and also include 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, high speed Internet access, fitness center, whirlpool and sauna.
During a recent interview, Frith said the room rates for the lodge's upscale accomodations will be middle-of-the-pack as far as Wood River Valley hotel pricing is concerned.
He said the lodge will employ between 16 and 18 employees once it's up and running at full capacity.
Frith predicted the lodge's clientele will include business and tourist travelers, "and of course the families of people in Hailey."
The use of masonry blocks and other noise-reducing materials throughout the entire hotel are expected to deliver quality noise control for a quiet room environment, he added.
Ketchum architect Tobin Dougherty of Tobin Architects designed the hotel.
The lodge is part of the AmericInn hotel chain, which has more than 230 locations open or under development in 23 states and is based in Minneapolis, Minn.
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.
The new 64-room Hailey AmericInn Lodge & Suites, above, opened for business Thursday, Dec. 14. Construction on the hotel, which is located at 51 Cobblestone Lane in northern Hailey, began in September 2005. Photo by David N. Seelig
