May soon be less room at the inns

The 80-room Holiday Inn Express, under construction since the beginning of spring on Bank Street in Grass Valley, already has booked a convention for the summer of 2007.

But if you are looking for a room at the inn on a busy weekend, the new hotel's convention business could mean less available lodging in the area, rather than more.

Mike Nudelman, one of the managing members of the company that owns downtown's Holbrooke Hotel, said people from Holiday Inn Express are working with local hoteliers to accommodate guests and activities.

The convention will bring together people from government agencies in Northern California for training and a trade show, Nudelman said.

"We're very excited about (the Holiday Inn) coming into town," Nudelman said. "We think it's going to be a good thing for us and for the city of Grass Valley."

Already, all it takes is a horse show, a crafts fair or a bluegrass festival and local lodges fill up. On those weekends and around holidays, it can be difficult to find a room to stay anywhere in western Nevada County.

At the Northern Queen Inn in Nevada City, summer weekends typically are booked. Often, people will call for one of the Inn's 86 rooms but concierge Kevin Forssman has to turn them away.

"Normally, we're pretty busy in summer. We usually fill out the weekends," Forssman said. Weekdays, however, often drop to 50 percent vacancy.

The same is true at the Nevada City Inn's 27 cottages and rooms. "Definitely, we're full on weekends and when there are events in town," manager Linda Cavanaugh said.

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To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.