Happy Holidays — or in the case of a Kincardine property — Happy Holiday Inn Express
Robert Higgins and partner David Hornstein of Sault Ste. Marie took over the property at the corner of Highways 21 and 9 on November 7th and are building a Holiday Inn Express at the site.
A Listowel-based developer had started building a Days Inn on the property late in 2008, but construction suddenly halted in January of 2009.
The building has sat half-finished for nearly a year.
Higgins — who also has hotel properties under other brands in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, and Bracebridge — says they found out the property was available through contacts within their industry.
He says they prefer the Holiday Inn Express brand for Kincardine and only minor changes will have to be made to the building to adapt to the design.
Higgins says the hotel will have 70 rooms with a combination of regular rooms and suites, an indoor pool and whirlpool, and exercise room, and continental breakfast included in the rates.
As for deciding to expand his hotel business to Kincardine, Higgins says everything is dictated by occupancy and rates, and based on what Kincardine offers, the area could use another hotel.
Higgins plans to have the new Holiday Inn Express open sometime during the summer of 2010.