By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
More than 100 community members turned out Thursday to welcome the new LaQuinta and Hawthorn Suites, by Wyndham to Del Rio.
The new state-of-the-art hotel, one of Wyndham’s only two dual-brand hotels in the nation, is located at 2410 N. Bedell Ave. in Del Rio. The dual brand label is exactly what it implies – there are two hotels under the same roof. Hawthorn Suites has 30 rooms while La Quinta has 73 rooms and will employ up to 20 people between them.
Del Rio’s mayor, a majority of the city council and numerous community members were on hand for the ribbon cutting and welcoming the new owners and brands to town.
However, Mike Forrest, an Odessa businessman who owns the four-story hotel, isn’t a newcomer to town but has been visiting Del Rio for years.
“I was 15 years old when my dad first brought my brothers and I here fishing,” Forrest said. “First, we came once a year, then we started coming several times a year.”
Forrest said it wasn’t the first property he’s owned here. “We bought an old houseboat here in 2006 and we restored it and kept it at Diablo East until they closed the marina,” he said. “We love the people, love the place here and just have a great time.”
Forrest now owns three properties in Del Rio, Odessa and Pflugerville, with Del Rio being the newest.
Forrest said he was in a salt water disposal business in New Mexico and West Texas that they sold. Forrest, a member of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame, said he owned an interest in several other hotels and they’d proven to be a good investment for him.
“We started talking about how tight rooms were in Del Rio and the Wyndham people talked to me about dual brands,” he said. At this point, Forrest is the only person who owns the dual brand hotels.
“This is good for Del Rio, we’re providing a good tax base for the citizens of Del Rio, we’re providing some good jobs, it’s just a win-win deal,” Forrest said.
“Also, a big ‘thank you’ to the mayor, to the city manager, to everyone involved,” he said. “They have been so responsive, so helpful, the other hotels we’ve opened we didn’t have half the help and support we got here. There are great people in this great city.”
The nearly five-minute interview with Forrest can be found here.
Frank Mancine, regional vice president for Sandpiper hospitality, agreed about the support from Del Rio. “Del Rio is one of the easiest cities we have ever worked with,” Mancine said. “From the local city government to the chamber of commerce.”
Mayor Al Arreola Sr. welcomed them with open arms. “We appreciate this new property here!” he said, during the ribbon cutting portion of the ceremony.
After the ribbon cutting, a military honor guard raised the flag outside the hotel, then the festivities moved inside where the Del Rio High School mariachi band entertained with several songs and then moved outside and serenaded poolside. Local artist Angel Baena entertained the audience as well and the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce provided Border Buttermilk.
While Baena was singing, the Good Bar’s staff and owners were on the other end of the lobby, serving up a variety of food. Every 20 minutes, staff members held a drawing to give away everything from Wyndham points to gift cards to local businesses to gift baskets.
The pet-friendly facility features a meeting room, area for free morning breakfast, spacious lobby, fire pits outside, a fitness center, 19 parking places for anglers, small market with snacks and a large swimming pool among its many amenities.
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Contact the author at joelalangton@gmail.com
