October 6, 2022 at 11:01 a.m.
New hotel expected to open next summer
New hotel expected to open next summer
"We're shooting for a date of July 1, 2023," Tim Thorsen of Hodag Hospitality Group LLC announced during a ceremonial groundbreaking event Monday morning.
The other members of the group - Bart and Kersti Lamers and Tony and Lori Haug - joined Thorsen for the milestone event. Thorsen noted that the sixth member, his wife, Lisa, was unavailable to attend.
Before the shovels hit the dirt, Thorsen offered thanks to the various architects, engineers, contractors and others working on the project. He also thanked city officials for their support.
"We had always known that Rhinelander needed a new hotel for the last probably two decades-plus and the feasibility study done by the City of Rhinelander last year verified that," he explained. "We're thankful to the city for working with us. Even a few years ago this may not have been possible."
"We're really looking forward to working with a lot of local people," he added, noting the group's goal is to use local resources as much as possible.
According to Thorsen, the hotel will employ 13 to 17 people when it's running "full bore."
"We feel very confident that locally we'll find the support that we need to go ahead and have the hotel running very smoothly," Thorsen said, adding that a firm has been hired to manage the hotel. "I don't know a lot about the hospitality business," he remarked. "I like to sleep in a nice hotel bed, that's about as much as I want to know."
Mayor Kris Hanus was on hand to celebrate another new development in the city.
"This is the first hotel in about 20-plus years to be erected in our great city," he said. "When this is completed in roughly 9 months or so, hopefully sooner, this will be a great asset to the hospital industry as well as our school district and anyone else who wants to come up here to play and enjoy our beautiful city and the Northwoods."
"Right now it's just a pile of dirt, but in 9 months there's going to be a beautiful asset here that's going to be great for our community, great for anyone visiting and really showcase everything the Northwoods and the City of Rhinelander has to offer."
According to a press release, the firm that will manage the hotel is ROI Hospitality Development LLC.
"The hotel will provide on-the-go guests with all the essentials to navigate their day, ranging from the signature Express Start® breakfast loaded with a range of fresh-made and grab-and-go food and drink options to blackout blinds, high-quality bedding and a choice of pillows for a sound night's sleep," the release states. "Guests additionally can remain productive in the hotel's 600 square feet of meeting space and 24-hour business center before unwinding in its indoor pool, hot tub or fitness center."
"During the last three decades, Holiday Inn Express has become the world's largest hotel brand through the consistent delivery of a dependable, simple and smart experience that prepares guests for whatever their day entails," said Kevin Schramm, SVP, Mainstream - U.S. & Canada for IHG Hotels & Resorts. "We look forward to working with ROI Hospitality Development to introduce the Holiday Inn Express & Suites experience to travelers and our new neighbors within the growing Rhinelander community."
"We are grateful for the collaboration with IHG Hotels & Resorts, the City of Rhinelander, Umbrella City Holdings, MCC Construction, HFD Inc., and ROI Hospitality," said Lori Haug. "We are excited to bring this facility to the Rhinelander community and look forward to connecting travelers to the beauty of this area."
"As business and leisure travel continue to accelerate throughout Wisconsin, the development of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Rhinelander could not come at a more ideal time," added John Warwick, President of ROI Hospitality Development. "Our groundbreaking is an exciting first step in establishing what we believe will become a must-stay hotel destination for regional travelers, and we will work closely with IHG Hotels & Resorts and our development partners to bring this modern property to life."
A division of the Regency Hotel Management Company, ROI Hospitality Development currently manages eight open or pipeline Wisconsin hotels spanning close to 900 rooms. The Rhinelander hotel will mark both the second Holiday Inn Express & Suites and IHG property within ROI's statewide portfolio, the release states.
Plans for the hotel were first brought to the city plan commission in late spring. By early August, a development agreement between the city and Hodag Hospitality Group was approved and a new TIF district associated with the project was created.
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites is one of two hotel projects in the works in the Rhinelander area. A separate development group is working to build a Cobblestone Hotel & Suites on Kemp Street. A TIF district was also created in connection with that project.
Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].
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