Hotel construction continues during 2004: four new hotels are opening this year in Anchorage, and other construction is under way statewide as well.

• Author: Morgan, Barbara
• Position: Building Alaska

Anchorage tourists, business travelers and residents will see the opening of four new hotels in 2004: Motel 6, Fairfield Inn, Aspen Extended Stay Suites and Homewood Suites. But that is not all. More building plans may be under way. Wasilla also will see a new hotel open. Other construction projects and remodeling are under way in Fairbanks and around the state.

NEW HOTELS IN ANCHORAGE

Motel 6, with 84 rooms, located at 5000 A Street, will open its doors in Anchorage this month. Fairfield Inn and Suites, with 106 rooms, located adjacent to Motel 6 on A Street, will open mid-July. Both hotels have the same management company.

Motel 6, a three-story building covering 33,000 square feet, will cost $4.5 million. Fairfield Inn, a four-story building covering 55,000 square feet, will cost $6 million.

Jon Feil, superintendent for A & A Construction & Development for Alaska, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington, with home offices located in Spokane, Wash., heads both construction projects-Motel 6 and Fairfield Inn.

The Hotel Group, the management company overseeing both new hotels, based in Edmonds, Wash., provides management and investment services to 25 hotel properties in the United States. Properties include Best Western, Comfort Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton, Hampton, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Microtel Inn & Suites, Radisson and independent hotels. This group manages Comfort Inn (Anchorage and Fairbanks), Holiday Inn Express and Microtel Inn & Suites.

John Haxby, trustee for Tiger Trust, who is the landowner for Motel 6 and Fairfield Inn and Suites, says, "We need this development and others like it in Anchorage that will provide more tax revenue to the city. This is especially important in the face of declining state revenues to the city. More developments increase the overall taxable value of real estate in Anchorage, and help keep our individual property taxes lower.

"Another reason that we need developments like this is that they generate huge amounts of revenue for the city in terms of bed taxes. For instance, the bed tax revenue from these two hotels would be around $690,000 each year, assuming they are full every day and average $135 per night."

Spacious guest rooms at Motel 6 offer coffee makers, hairdryers, data ports, cable TV, guest laundry facilities, free airport shuttle and free local calls.

Fairfield Inn's 19 suites each include a microwave and refrigerator; guests may also request a suite with a Jacuzzi. Other amenities include a...