Business and leisure travelers tired of cookie-cutter hotel rooms may find a pleasant surprise in store if they choose to stay at the new Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel on Route 9 in the town of Poughkeepsie.
Opening on October 28, the $20 million, five-story building was designed with the Hudson Valley in mind, said builder Jim Friend. “We have 15 suites dedicated to attractions in and around the area: a Culinary Institute of America suite; another dedicated to Vassar College; and we even have one that showcases Fala, the Roosevelt”™s”™ Scottish terrier.”Â
For those who need a taste of the ”™60s, there”™s a Woodstock suite. And for the more artistic, a suite dedicated to Hudson River artist Frederic Church, whose mansion overlooking the river in Columbia County is a state park.
Friend said his company scouted the Hudson Valley for several months before deciding on the Route 9 site. “It is ideally located. We”™re are close to IBM and other large business centers and 10 minutes away from Marist and Vassar, as well as the Culinary Institute. Vassar Brothers Medical Center is five minutes away. I felt it was an ideal location for a Hampton Inn.
“There are so many historically significant places to visit all within a short distance,” continued New York City-based Friend, principal of Friend Development Group, who has been in the hotel building business for two decades.
This hotel is his first foray into the mid-Hudson region. “The business climate seems to be quite stable here, and we are a business-traveler-friendly hotel. We also want our leisure visitors to enjoy what we have to offer, especially if they are here to enjoy the sites. So we”™ve combined the best and feel that the Hilton brand will be more than welcomed here in the greater Poughkeepsie area.”
Friend said the 129-room hotel is a combination of regular rooms and 29 large suites, some almost 900 square feet in size, that are not only accommodating for long-term guests but lend themselves to small  day conferences.
In addition, there is approximately 1,200-1,500 of flexible space for business meetings: The Hudson River Room can accommodate up to 80 people and another, the Liberty Room, can accommodate up to 50. Both are “themed,” said Friend. “For example, the Liberty room is dedicated to our armed forces, with photos and memorabilia, and the Hudson River room is decorated with artwork and furniture reflecting the history of the valley.” Â
While the hotel does not offer catering on premises, it does have a complete kitchen for area caterers to use. A complimentary full breakfast is on the Hampton Suites”™ menu every morning for guests.
“This hotel was truly a labor of love,” said Friend. “I spent a serious amount of time researching the culture of the Hudson River Valley, and all the artwork, furniture throughout the hotel and our special suites reflect its great history. Vassar and Marist both worked with us on the décor and getting it historically right. We also had the help of a wonderful nationally known photographer, Jake Rajs, and we showcase his work throughout the hotel.”
And what of the tempestuous economy? Friend says while financing was in place before the markets took a nosedive, he said anyone out there looking for building capital today is “going to have a very tough time. Right now, the availability of funding is minimal, so we were very fortunate to have ours in place and to have our site selected before the marketplace began to crumble.”
Yes, people are traveling less, Friend acknowledged. But he is optimistic about The Hampton Inn.
“When people travel today, they are looking for a great place to stay at an affordable price,” he said. “We offer both. We also offer the Hilton branding, and people equate the name Hilton with top quality. That”™s what they expect, and that”™s what we deliver. We”™re also in a very stable economic part of the region, and we believe that once a guest comes to stay here, they are going to return. We have taken pains to make this hotel special in that it is a showcase for the Hudson Valley”™s history and the wealth of attractions that surround us, many of which are not more than a half-hour away. Â We think we”™ll do well, and that we”™ll be welcome by both business and leisure travelers.”
The hotel will hold its official ribbon cutting on Nov. 18. Friend welcomes visitors to stop by and see “just how unique this hotel is. We built it with the Hudson Valley”™s history in mind. I have stayed in many hotels myself, and I don”™t like boring. If anything, this hotel is a treat and a real tribute to the Hudson River Valley. I think guests will appreciate the trouble we”™ve gone to in bringing something out of the ordinary to the hotel market that is beautiful and affordable.”
