Orleans Weekly Journal
Published: Friday, March 28, 2008 New hotel will encourage spin-offs The hotel is coming; the hotel is coming, yippee! Okay, so maybe this enthusiasm for a future three-star Days Inn hotel at the corner of St. Joseph and Tenth Line is a bit much… nonetheless, Orléans is getting a hotel. And it’s important for a variety of reasons. First, there is a need for some sort of lodging, big time. Our community of 110,000 is probably one of the few places in Canada of our size that is not serviced by some sort of hotel facility. From visiting sports teams to large and extended families (which can’t fit in your house) to visiting business people doing business in the east end or rural communities, a hotel west of the 417 and Innes interchange is long overdue. Second, situating this new facility near the embryonic Orléans Town Centre project continues the momentum of the redevelopment concept. Soon two cranes will dot our skyline (if we can call it that), the existing one from the Shenkman Arts Centre and another for this new hotel. Third, the addition of the hotel should act as a catalyst to accelerate the construction of Class A office space in the Town Centre and should also bolster the prospects for storefront retail and a restaurant or two in the whole project. Fourth, preliminary reports indicate the Days Inn will have meeting and banquet facilities for groups of about 200 people. As someone who has tried to host political and community functions for 100 to 200 people, this is welcome news. You can count on one hand the number of actual suitable/functional facilities east of the Greenbelt that can adequately host this type of activity… a new banquet/meeting facility (however modest it may be) in our neck of the woods will be most welcome. All in all, a new hotel is a good news story for our community. In time as the whole Town Centre project takes place, it will be a welcome economic and destination boost for all concerned. To conclude, the developers may want to consider the following “amenities” to ensure it meets the needs of a wide swath of potential clientele. Green building construction and the incorporation of local touches would be nice. As well, given the opportunity for local sub-contractors to compete for the work would be a positive gesture. For travellers, wireless service throughout the hotel and well-equipped meeting rooms will go a long way. As well, the inn shouldn’t scrimp on fitness facilities like so many three-star hotels do all for the sake of one more room on a floor. And finally, seeking an established chain to come in and run (or franchise) the restaurant service is worth a long look. But enough of my pontificating, let’s clear the snow, get the permits approved, dig some dirt, lay a foundation and build. = = = = = Comments can be sent to Walter Robinson at orleansouttakes@transcontinental.ca. |