New Plattsburgh hotel seen as sign of the region's strength

Local News

Related Photos

Michael Betts
Michael Betts

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.

comments powered by Disqus

June 30, 2009

By DAN HEATH The Press Republican Tue Jun 30, 2009, 11:28 PM EDT

PLATTSBURGH — Plattsburgh's newest hotel is seen as another sign of the area's stability in the current global economic crisis.

The new Hampton Inn and Suites on Route 3 in the Town of Plattsburgh was built by Patrick and Diane Akey in partnership with Montreal-based developers Angelo, Emmanuel and Annamaria Arduini.

The hotel, which has been open since June 16, has brought 35 new jobs to the area.

At the ceremonial opening Tuesday, Plattsburgh Town Supervisor Bernie Bassett said the hotel is another positive sign for the North Country.

"I have to believe we are growing more jobs than we are losing."

The Town of Plattsburgh, North Country and Champlain Valley represent quality, Bassett said, and Hampton Inn and Suites is another example of that.

"This is an opportunity to look around and say, 'Wow, they did it right.'"

County of Clinton Industrial Development Agency President Adoré Flynn Kurtz said the state legislation that regulates IDAs targets tourism as well as industrial development. That allows the local IDA to help businesses such as Hampton Inn with tax breaks and other incentives.

"In a time when many communities are dealing with the harsh realities of the economic recession, we here in Plattsburgh have yet another reason to celebrate," Kurtz said.

Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas said Frank Akey and his family have been investing in the North Country for the past 50 years and the new hotel shows their commitment to continue.

"The Akeys aren't leaving; the Akeys are investing," he said.

The project was funded by Community Bank. Senior Vice President Nick Russell said the Akeys have been successful with other projects, such as Ponderosa restaurant and Microtel Inn and Suites next door.

The new hotel has 94 rooms, including 30 king studio suites. Those rooms are about 465 square feet and include a sofa, work desk, king-size bed and wet bar.

The rooms all have 37-inch flat-screen, high-definition televisions, microwave ovens and refrigerators. The entire building is set up for wireless Internet access.

The hotel includes a swimming pool and hot tub, with access to an outdoor patio for sun worshippers.

The two-story lobby features a combination of recessed and hanging lights and rich-hued hardwood furniture. It is used as a dining area for the free hot breakfasts served in the mornings and as a community room in the afternoons and evenings.

A meeting room has space for 50 people and can also be used for special events, such as wedding anniversaries.

The hotel plan received conditional approval from the Town of Plattsburgh Planning Board in February 2008, and construction began a few months later.

It is Plattsburgh's first five-story hotel, at a height of 62 feet. It required a height variance from the Town of Plattsburgh Zoning Board of Appeals because that's 22 feet higher than the zoning ordinance allows.

"The planning and zoning people in the Town of Plattsburgh have been very helpful," Mr. Akey said.

"They certainly looked after the welfare of the community, yet still allowed us to create some progress."

Mr. Akey said they also received a lot of cooperation from John Kanoza and Jim Cayea of the Clinton County Health Department.

Hampton Inn and Suites is part of the 10-brand Hilton family of hotels. Hilton has more than 3,300 hotels in 80 countries and territories, with more than 130,000 employees.

E-mail Dan Heath at: dheath@pressrepublican.com