New inn planned for Ontario

By Andy Gates - Argus Observer
Monday, August 6, 2007 10:44 AM PDT

ONTARIO - The lodging industry in Ontario could grow next summer with the addition of a Holiday Inn Express.

The new facility, slated for a location near Interstate 84, east of 10th Street, near Sizzler, could boast approximately 90 rooms, and should employ about 25 people, one of its owners, Bob Quinn, of TQ Properties, said Friday.

“We’re fairly committed, and have a franchise agreement with Holiday Inn that is in place. There’s no question we’re moving forward,” Quinn said.

Quinn, along with his business partners, own five hotels in the northwest, with two other local establishments including Holiday Inn, built in the 1970s, and Roadway Inn, he said.

Quinn, a life-long resident of Ontario, is loyal to his town.

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“Personally, I wouldn’t live anywhere else but Ontario,” he said.

The city already boasts 12 hotels and motels, and two bed and breakfasts, according to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

Ontario’s mayor said he looks forward to welcoming another.

“It was real exciting when he (Quinn) told me,” Ontario Mayor Joe Dominick said Thursday.

Quinn said it is a good time for growth in Ontario, and occupancy has been on the rise.

“The business climate is really good ... Our occupancy runs above average. It’s been increasing over the years,” he said.

Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express are franchises, which Quinn said, have encouraged expansion during the last two to three years.

“Several local people have been asking me to consider it as well,” Quinn said.

The new Holiday Inn Express should have a combination of standard rooms and suites, with an indoor pool, as well as wireless and plug-in Internet access, Quinn said.

With 1,708 hotels globally, Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing hotel brands in the industry — opening an average of two hotels per week, according to March information from InterContinental Hotels Group.