A family-owned hotel in Golden has joined up with Econo Lodge to provide a wider source of service for people who live in or, come to the Golden area.
Nick and Karan Uppal, are the owners of the hotel located at 915-10th Ave. S. which opened its doors 18 years ago.
“It was the chance for Nick to try something different,” said Karan. “He came here from England and stepped into it and has done very well ever since.”
Karan explained that the decision was made to join the Econo Lodge after almost a year of negotiations.
“Partnering up with Choice Hotels was very exciting. They are an amazing group of people to work with. I think we are extremely excited to be the only Choice Hotel in the Kootenays. It was a chance to bring in a different franchise to the area,” Karan said. “We were really ready for a change and are now reinvented as the Econo Lodge.”
“I think this is a wonderful opportunity,” said Kim Scrivens of Choice Hotels US. “Econo Lodge was a brand in the United States. Choice purchased it over 20 years ago. It is a very involved brand throughout the U.S. and Canada. There have been many changes throughout the years and we are constantly evolving.”
Scrivens added that she has found Golden to be a wonderful place to visit.
“It is a charming place and the people here have been wonderful. I have been doing this for a very long time and it is nice to deal with people who are so excited and involved in looking towards the future,” she said.
Some of the differences people will notice right away when they stay at the hotel will be in the look of the rooms.
“Our rooms are being renovated right from the top to the bottom. We have new beds, carpets and they have been painted. The bathrooms have also been redone,” Karan said.
In the near future the hotel will also be bringing in new flat screen televisions and new beds are being added to rooms every day.
Samantha Aastrom is the general manager of the hotel, and has worked with the family for eight years.
She is very impressed with the new future she sees for the hotel.
“I think there is a lot more opportunity now. Things will be running smooth in the future and having the rooms redone is huge for the guests. I expect to see many happy people in the future,” she said.
Scrivens added, “You have to stay fresh over the years and make sure you look at things like bedding, amenities and breakfast. Things like this are huge. We have many benefits that people can learn more about online at www.choicehotels.ca or econolodge.ca.”
The location of the hotel is also a big draw for guests who come to Golden.
“Our location is a key as well. We are downtown near the restaurants, bars and shopping. We have Overwaitea and a liquor store right across the road. The cinema is a two minute walk down the road and the Pedestrian Bridge is close. People choose us because of the location,” Nick said.
“Everything is in walking distance. There is no driving involved and Golden is beautiful to walk around,” Karan said.
Aastrom added that the hotel has always had many returning customers and she is excited to see how they react to the new look.
