The first Hotel Sierra in Connecticut opened in Shelton Monday afternoon.
The 127-room hotel hopes to cater to the burgeoning corporate community in Shelton.
“It’s a new guest experience, said Michael Daood, the vice president of development for Lodgeworks, the parent company of Hotel Sierra. “It’s a little different than a standard hotel. A little more comfortable.”
Though Hotel Sierra joins many other hotels along Bridgeport Avenue, Daood said Lodgeworks saw a market for another in the area. It’s located at 830 Bridgeport Ave.
It’s the first hotel to be built along the corridor in more than 10 years, said Bill Purcell, the president of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce.
And Daood said the company does things a little differently than a normal hotel. The hotel has one-bedroom and studio suites, complete with full refrigerators and kitchens, flat screen televisions and pull-out couches.
The 13, one-bedroom suites connect to standard hotel rooms, for families or large parties.
The new hotel adds about 40 jobs to the area, Daood said.
“The beat goes on in this community, and this ribbon cutting is a reflection of that,” Purcell said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon.
Mayor Mark Lauretti told the staff from Hotel Sierra that in Shelton, they are “in the best economic environment the state has to offer,” and that the hotel “fills a niche” created by all the office buildings in the area.
“I think you will find you will have as much success here with your business as everyone else,” Lauretti said. “So good luck and I wish you much prosperity.”
The first guests — three business people affiliated with local companies BIC and Thule — checked in at 4:30 p.m.
Hotel management said that several rooms are already booked through the first week.
FAST FACTS
Number of Rooms: 127
Number of Employees: 35 – 45
Weekday Rates: $189 – $219
Weekend Rates: $99 – $129
Hotel Sierra Colors: Lime Green and Black
Number of Hotel Sierra Locations Nationwide: 14
Number of Hotel Sierra Locations in Connecticut: 1
