Nearly a year after construction first broke ground on Railway Ave. West, the Western Star Hotel is now open for business in Carlyle.
The 65-room facility boasts some impressive feature comforts, just the thing to make it a home away from home for travellers.
"We have some really nice rooms, with full kitchens in 39 of them, and a microwave in every room in the hotel," explains Twyla Bauman, the Regional Sales, and Marketing Manager and Human Resources manager. "Our aim is to offer people a clean, comfortable room with a great breakfast."
Indeed, the deluxe continental breakfast includes a fair number of hot and cold dishes, and is served in the main dining area between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., just the thing for both early and late risers.
The amenities don't just stop with the breakfast either.
Every room has separate air conditioning, heating, 40" flat-panel, high definition televisions, and on-suite coffee machines and coffee.
Beyond the room, there is a patron's laundry, as well as a small business centre in the front lobby with Internet-connected computers, free for use by hotel guests.
"We are hoping to be able to offer dry cleaning from town for our guests soon," said Management and Financial Administrator Carla Eagan. "We also want to have an in-house laundry up and running in the next couple of months for our guests."
Both Bauman and Eagan have come to the region from outside. Bauman, who was born in Weyburn, came by way of Estevan, as did Eagan, who hails originally from northern Alberta.
"There is still a little work going on, getting the last few things in place," Eagan explained, "We have to order the couches for the larger suites, and a few other touches."
"We'll also be paving the parking all around the building in the near future as well."
The state of not-quite-finished the hotel opened in didn't deter visitors however, and on opening day, Feb. 19, already 20 percent of the rooms had been booked, some until the end of the year.
"We have a couple of business clients, and some private ones too, who have booked rooms for a full year," Bauman explained. "We're already pretty full, and excepting for road bans, we'll likely continue to be well booked from the looks of things."
The Western Star offers, on the high end, Jacuzzi suites that feature king-sized beds, down to standard single and double bedrooms.
Staying a night costs $135 on the low end for a simple suite, to $179 for the full-on Jacuzzi suites.
The builders of the Western Star are now off to Redvers where they are building an exactly identical hotel in that community.
The Western Star can be reached for reservations and inquiries at 453-2700.
The Western Star is still seeking people to help fill out their staff, and anyone interested in a position at the hotel is urged to contact them.
Western Star Hotels offers Aeroplan points.
