Cavanaughs Acquires Idaho Falls Hotel

Cavanaughs Hospitality Corp. Wednesday announced the purchase of its first Idaho property, the Westbank Holiday Inn in Idaho Falls.

The 142-room hotel, to be renamed Cavanaughs on the Falls, brings to 10 the number of hotels operated by the Spokane-based company.

The seller was Ron Keil of Portland. Terms were not disclosed.

Keil, who praised the dedication of the 65-person staff, said Cavanaughs would restore the property’s preeminence in the Idaho Falls market.

The hotel, with meeting space for 500, overlooks the falls on the Snake River that give the city its name.

The first phase was built in 1963, and the second in 1974. Renovations were completed in 1993 and 1994.

Cavanaughs President Don Barbieri said Idaho Falls was a desirable expansion site for the regional chain because local incomes are high and two million tourists pass through each year on their way to Grand Teton National Park, Sun Valley and other attractions.

The profile fits other Cavanaughs locations, he said.

The group recently added the Westcoast Ridpath Hotel in Spokane and Cavanaughs Gateway Inn in Yakima to its holdings.

The addition of the Idaho Falls hotel will put 2,100 rooms under the Cavanaughs umbrella.

Barbieri said the chain will continue to look for other growth opportunities in the Northwest.

, DataTimes