Alaska tourism industry gets hotel boost: from Seward to Fairbanks, sites add visitor accommodations, amenities.

• Author: Morgan, Barbara
• Position: BUILDING ALASKA

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The hotel industry is booming in Alaska. With the new Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center gearing to open in September, hotels are being built or expanded in Anchorage and statewide to accompany the anticipated visitors to the state to attend conventions or visit due to a growing national marketing campaign and the new branding of Anchorage. Here's a glimpse at some of the hotels currently under construction, with many to be completed before the first Anchorage convention in the new civic center, the Alaska Federation of Natives with 4,000 delegates and an estimated economic impact of $3.9 million. Other hotels are opening around the state to accommodate the growing number of visitors to Alaska, via cruise ship, plane or the Alaska-Canadian Highway.

NEW CROWNE PLAZA MIDTOWN ANCHORAGE

Groundbreaking took place late this summer for a new full-service hotel in Anchorage at the corner of International Airport Road and C Street. The six-story, 166-room property is scheduled to open this fall. This hotel will include a restaurant and lounge, business center, indoor pool with spa, in-room coffee makers, guest laundry, hair dryers, voice mail and high-speed DSL. Additionally, the hotel will offer banquet services with 2,800 square feet of meeting space.

NEW HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS IN FAIRBANKS

Tammy Griffin, director of operations for The Hotel Group, said Fairbanks will see a new 106-room Holiday Inn Express. The Fairbanks property is adjacent to the Johansson Express Way at 400 Merhar Ave. The hotel will feature an indoor pool and spa, a business center, an exercise room and a guest laundry room. Amenities in the guestrooms include free high-speed Internet. In addition, the hotel will offer The Express Start@, a breakfast bar featuring cinnamon rolls. This property is slated to open this summer.

SEWARD'S HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS ADDS ADDITIONAL GUEST, MEETING ROOMS

The existing Holiday Inn Express in Seward is undergoing expansion, adding nine additional guestrooms this winter and increasing its total room count to 91. Besides new guestrooms, the property will add two meeting rooms and new retail space. The rooms will be ready for occupancy by spring.

The Hotel Group (THG), the largest independent hotel management company in the Pacific Northwest, based in Edmonds, Wash., and founded in 1984, manages all three of the properties listed so far. A&A Construction & Development Inc., a company that has been active in Alaska hospitality since 1992, is developing all three hotels. Upon completion of these projects, THG will manage nearly 1,000 hotel rooms in Alaska and expects to add approximately 100 full-time and seasonal employees.

The Hotel Group in Alaska currently manages the Holiday Inn Express and the Microtel Inn & Suites, both near the Anchorage airport. They also manage the Comfort Inn near Ship Creek, Fairfield Inn & Suites and Motel 6--all in Anchorage.

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Elsewhere in Alaska, THG manages The Comfort Inn Chena River in Fairbanks and the Holiday Inn Express in Seward.

THG provides management and investment services to 27 hotels in 10 states, and employs more than 1,800 associates. Since its inception, THG has managed more than 100 properties in 20 states, and has directed the design and construction of 30 new hotels.

THG manages such brands such as Doubletree, Crowne Plaza, Sheraton, Embassy Suites, Marriott, Holiday Inn, and others.

EMBASSY SUITES EMERGES IN ANCHORAGE

The new...