Stewart International Airport is cruising toward becoming hotel central faster than you can say “Port Authority.”
The new four-story, four-star Homewood Suites hotel is a shy half-mile from the airport”™s main terminal. And it could soon have company.
The Homewood concept was presented to the airport”™s former owners, National Express Group, back in 2004 by former Construction Contractors Association President Richard O”™Bierne and his partners. The 125-room, extended-stay hotel was completed in October and had its grand opening one week after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey took over at the airport in November.
Homewood Suites is a division of Hilton Hotels Inc.
While there are many hotels in the area, Homewood Suites is one of the first that truly offers long-term accommodations ranging from studio to two-bedroom suites, all with complete kitchens.
Laundry facilities are available for guests.
Full breakfasts are served every day, accompanied by light dinner meals offered Monday through Thursday. The meals make it easy for the traveler to take care of business without worrying about where to eat.
Weekends, visitors are free either to fly home or visit attractions in the area, or family members are welcome to visit, said Richard O”™Bierne when first discussing the concept of the extended-stay suites. “Many of our visitors will be here for two or three months, and it”™s natural they will want to be able to have their families come in. This makes it possible.”
With new business coming to the airport and many companies looking at possible sites, Homewood Suites makes it that much easier to do some scouting.
One of the companies that may be giving Homewood some competition is Savannah Investment Management, who has just signed on to buy 282 acres along the former Drury Lane (now state Route 747). Savannah is looking to build at least 1 million square feet of commercial space and another hotel.
The company already owns a 350,000-square-foot industrial building that houses FedEx and Nexans on Enterprise Drive at the airport.
RK Smith had marketed the property for more than five years, but with the Port Authority takeover and the completion of Drury Lane, land in and around the airport has become attractive to developers.
The fact that another hotel may be coming to Stewart doesn”™t faze Homewood Suites”™ owners, who are reportedly, though still unofficially, planning a second hotel at the airport.
The hotel also offers a separate conference room that seats 16 and a business center for its day-trippers and overnight guests.
According to a rendering of the proposed changes that are to take place at Stewart, Homewood Suites may be sitting in the catbird seat. Initial plans call for the proposed Stewart-Salisbury Mills rail link to stop just short of the hotel, making Homewood Suites even more convenient. And if you want to get to the terminal? The hotel offers door-to-door bus service.
As of now, Homewood Suites is the largest entry in the hotel market within a one-mile radius of the airport”™s main terminal, and management reported more than 50 meetings have taken place in the ballroom, which can be sub-divided into three separate areas.
“We”™ve been busy, and we”™ve had dozens of meetings,” said manager Bob Fox.
