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State Route 46 businesses react to racino
By Kalea Hall
AUSTINTOWN
Employees at the Comfort Inn off state Route 46 have been waiting two years for the opening of Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
“At this point we have been so busy with people who have stayed here getting ready for the racino that I haven’t had time to take a breath,” said Shelley Stevens, Comfort Inn general manager.
Comfort Inn isn’t alone. Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, Country Inn and Suites and a half-dozen other hotels have been busy providing rooms for workers at the racino and now are preparing for its opening Wednesday and the start of the racing season Nov. 24.
“I think the horse-racing portion of the racino is going to be the most beneficial” for the Hampton Inn, said David Kovass, president of Meander Hospitality Group. “I am not sure that the gaming itself will provide overnight guests because of the regional casinos we have.”
In addition to running the Hampton Inn, Meander Hospitality Group also has submitted plans for a new Hilton in the same Route 46 corridor. The company is in the process of looking for project financing.
The racino was a consideration in the decision to build another hotel, but not the whole consideration.
“You typically do not want to place all of your eggs in one basket,” Kovass said. “We generally cast a wide net. We don’t stay focused on one area.”
Several of the hotel operators noted they always have received steady business thanks to the proximity of General Motors Lordstown and people coming and going from work there.
The 82-room Hampton Inn also is slated for remodeling in 2016.
Kovass said there is no question that he is “cautiously excited” about the racino. He said the company will wait and see what demand there is before offering a shuttle service to the racino, and he believes there eventually will be a racino package of some sort offered to guests.
“We want to get the doors open [first],” he said of Hollywood Gaming. “We think it is going to be fantastic not only for Austintown but for the greater Valley.”
MORE OPTIMISM
Candlewood Suites, in the same area, recently opened and is preparing to offer shuttle service and packages of some sort, said Frank Pasqualetti Sr., owner of the suites and Holiday Inn Express.
“We definitely think it will help business,” Pasqualetti said. “We are working with [racino] managers to set up packages with the hotels.”
Pasqualetti already is thankful for the business the Holiday Inn Express received from booking laborers at the racino into his hotel.
Like the Hilton project, the decision to open Candlewood did not rely only on the racino factor.
“There is a lot of new business, and oil plays a part of it,” Pasqualetti said, referring to the shale and pipe industries.
Comfort Inn has fully upgraded its 109-room location. Stevens said it has been approached about using a shuttle in conjunction with the racino and other hotels, and she is putting together some pricing for frequent visitors.
“We are looking forward to housing some of the [racino visitors] and to just have something to offer guests,” Stevens said.
In front of the Comfort Inn sits a hotel that is visible from nearby Interstate 80. Palm trees line the outside of Hotel California owned by Sebastian Rucci.
The 102-room structure is still a work in progress with an expected opening date in mid-October. It will feature a comedy club, dance floor, night club and restaurant, among other amenities. It is now awaiting a decision on its liquor permit from the state.
“The horse racing is what we are focusing on,” Rucci said.
The 65-room Country Inn and Suites by Carlson, like many of the other hotels in the area, has already seen an impact in business from the racino construction.
“It will bring more stays,” said Jeff Roy, general manager of the Country Inn and Suites.
Bhasker Patel, owner of the 57-room Sleep Inn off Route 46, expects to see three to four rooms rented out as a daily average with the racino. He hasn’t decided on offering any special packages or shuttles to the racino.
General Manager Sarah McCoy of the Best Western also was unsure if the hotel will offer any packages to the racino or shuttles.
“As far as I know, we are not so sure how this is going to impact us,” McCoy said. “We are waiting for the whole thing to open in November.”
On the restaurant side, Quaker Steak and Lube in the same Route 46 corridor may, at first, take a hit with business, but in the long run, the racino is expected to be a benefit to business there, said Lindy Good, marketing director for the restaurant.
It just so happens that there is a new menu coming out this fall.
“We are really excited about it finally opening,” Good said. “Everyone should feel a little boost from it.”
Hollywood Gaming will start a shuttle service to and from adjacent lodging, but it will not be offered opening week.