Holiday Inn Express breaks ground first

More Windsor hotels to follow
by SHELBY Hunt, Times Intern
Officials from Tom Green Enterprises and the town of Windsor
broke ground last Thursday for a Holiday Inn Express that is to be
built on Conde Lane. The hotel will be the first in Windsor.
Tom Green Enterprises, developer of the Holiday Inn Express,
started construction on March 12, and is aiming at completion by
March of 2005. Present at the groundbreaking ceremony were Nick
Desai of Tom Green Enterprises and Windsor Mayor Deborah Fudge.
“The project has taken two years from start to groundbreaking,”
said Fudge, “so we’re anxiously waiting for it to be built. It’s
Windsor’s first hotel open to the public, and I’m sure we’ll be
able to keep it full. We welcome the Desai family to Windsor.”
This is not Desai’s first attempt to build a Holiday Inn Express
in Windsor. He said that, on his first attempt, a disagreement
broke out between the general contractor and the development
company, and by the time the matter was settled the permits had
expired. But Desai said the second try provided an opportunity to
re-design plans, creating a structure unique to Windsor.
The hotel, as it is now designed, will include 75 rooms, ranging
from basic accommodations to suites. It will include an indoor spa,
an outdoor swimming pool and an exercise facility. Rates for the
rooms will range from $89 to $169. Suite prices will range from
$189 to $229.
It is likely that Windsor’s second hotel will be Casa delle
Vigne on Los Amigos Road. According to Rodney Friedrich, principal
designer for developer Evening Star Hospitality, the hotel will
include 108 rooms and will be associated with a separately-financed
day spa and restaurant.
Casa delle Vigne will be a three-story building designed with a
wine country theme. Materials and landscaping will inspire the feel
of a Tuscan villa. The facility will include an exercise room and
meeting facilities. Construction for the luxury lodge is set to
begin in June.
The Town Green Village is expected to be the site of a third
hotel. Darlene Walley, who currently operates the Villa Terra Bella
bread and breakfast on the outskirts of Windsor, has proposed a
luxury boutique hotel of 10 suites. According to Walley, the hotel,
which will be built at the corner of Bell and McClelland Roads,
will have very large suites decorated with luxury furnishings and
amenities. Each suite will be double occupancy – hopefully with a
balcony. Walley expects suite prices to be about $200.
The hotel will offer a day spa near the lobby, with
possibilities for a top-of-the-line exercise facility, boutique,
and a coffee shop or bar. Walley is hoping to begin construction by
next year, and is currently waiting for permits.