Best Western Edges Ahead In Spokane Hotel Market

Three new Best Western hotels will open in Spokane during 1996, making the chain the best-represented lodging name in the area.

The Best Western building spree will add 279 new hotel rooms to a Spokane area hotel market that some industry observers already consider cluttered.

A new Travelodge in downtown Spokane has been planned to add 80 more rooms to the area’s 5,080 by July 1.

However, strong convention and tourism growth have kept hotel occupancy rates around 70 percent, said Martha Lou Wheatley of the Spokane Convention & Visitors Bureau. More growth demands more hotel rooms, she said.

The owners of the new projects hope their locations will make the difference. They are:

Best Western Northpointe Suites, 9600 Newport Highway. Coowner Tanya Guenther said the hotel will open its 74 “mini-suites” by March 1.

The mini-suite concept has grown in popularity because the rooms - with divided living and sleeping areas with amenities like microwaves in each half - are more like home, Guenther said.

“It’s an idea that’s appealing to both leisure and business travelers,” she said. The hotel will have the customary spa, pool and amenities that most travelers expect in new properties.

The Northpointe should employ about 35 people, said Guenther, of Guenther Management, which owns several SunTree Inns and a Super 8 Motel.

“I don’t believe there’s a whole lot of demand for new properties,” Guenther said. “Where a new property is located will make the difference, and we think our location on Highway 2 is a good one.”

Guenther pointed to Kootenai County as an example of a saturated hotel market. Kootenai County has added 500 hotel rooms in just about two years.

Best Western Peppertree Airport Inn, 3707 Geiger Blvd. Larry Sharley of Sharley Developments will open the 100 mini-suites of the Peppertree around April 15.

The airport location works well for the new hotel because it remains visible from Interstate 90. Sharley hopes to attract both fliers and drivers to the facility.

He is also close to signing a deal to put a Denny’s Restaurant adjacent to the Peppertree.

“We felt we had the best shot of making it work as a Best Western,” he said. The hotel will employ about 20 people, he said.

Best Western Pheasant Run at Pines Road and Mission Avenue. The hotel has yet to be built but will have 105 rooms, divided between mini-suites and standard rooms.

The hotel will include executive suites and a honeymoon suite, said Joe Mathis, president of J&B Management of Spokane, which is overseeing the construction.

Mathis hoped to break ground Feb. 1 on the property, but that may be delayed with the recent snowfall. A fall opening is tentatively scheduled.

With the addition of these three hotels, Best Western will have seven properties in Spokane and North Idaho. No other hotel affiliation has as many in the region, though several such as Cavanaugh’s, Super 8, Suntree and others have three or more.

Bob Templin, regional governor for Best Western and owner of Templin’s Resort in Post Falls - also a Best Western property - said that the non-profit hotel association is spending $16 million on advertising to promote its brand name and to set up a worldwide reservation system.

Best Western affiliation fees are among the least expensive in the hotel business because the association is non-profit, Templin said.

“Best Western only charges for what it takes to run the organization and for advertising,” he said. Other hotel franchises are publicly held and charge more, he said.

“The association’s biggest thrust is to advertise and to improve our quality control,” Templin said.

“Best Westerns have upgraded their facilities extensively and are becoming very popular.”

, DataTimes