News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Holiday Inn and Suites General Manager Tony Sottile removes a cushion from a couch that is in one of the suites in the new hotel in Alpena. Sottile said the new business should open soon and the hiring and training process is set to begin.

ALPENA — As contractors continue to put the finishing touches on the new Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Alpena, owner Amerilodge Group LLC is set to begin the hiring and training process.

If everything goes smoothly the new hotel could open between the middle of April or in May, officials said.

During a tour of the building Tuesday, hotel General Manager Tony Sottile showed off some of the near complete suites on the fourth floor of the facility, as well as the lobby area, pool, workout room and conference area. Sottile said work is progressing well and the target date for opening is April 15, though he admitted it could be pushed back slightly if needed to be sure everything is fully operational for guests.

“That is our goal, but if someone wants to book a room on the website the system won’t let you book until June 2,” he said. “We have to give ourselves a cushion just in case. There are a lot of moving parts here. If we’re done sooner, then they will be able to book sooner.”

Many of the rooms and community areas have large windows that look directly over the Thunder Bay River and on the top floor the harbor and Lake Huron can be seen. Sottile said the location of the hotel reminds him of one he managed in Dayton Beach, Fla.

“It is just beautiful because both have the water and great views,” Sottile said. “We are going to have a deck built on the waterfront and customers will be able to see the water in many areas of the hotel. This town is great and I expect the hotel will do well here.”

Some think progress on the construction has been slow, but Sottile said that isn’t necessarily the case. He said there are many Holiday Inn Expresses being built and the contractor Amerilodge uses has been busy. New Holiday Inn Expresses are being built in Gaylord and Mount Pleasant, as well as several in Indiana.

“There hasn’t really been any challenges, but we have only so many construction workers and they continue to work hard,” he said.

Because the new hotel is the latest model being built, there will be technology and amenities older versions don’t feature, Sottile said the door locks will be bluetooth compatible, so a customer can open their door by waving their smartphone in front to it. The tables in the dining room area will be multi-use, and will have the capability to charge cell phones. Lighting fixtures in the rooms have USB ports and convenient light and room controls, as well as charging stations are situated near the bed and desk areas.

Employees have for the most part been working on the interior from the top down, so dirt and potential damage is avoided from having to jump from floor to floor. Sottile said the progress over the last several months was made possible because of the mild weather.

In all there are 90 rooms, including 18 suites and 11 handicap-accessible rooms. Service animals will be allowed on the property for the duration of a guest’s stay, he said.

Amerilodge will begin the process of hiring and training employees. Human resources specialist Kyle Esper said on April 4 hotel and company staff will be accepting applications and resumes at Michigan Works from 1-5 p.m. Esper said between 20 and 30 employees need to be hired.

“We will need housekeepers, front desk workers for the morning, afternoon and overnight shift, laundry and breakfast attendants,” Esper said. “Employees who work the overnight, or graveyard shift, get a premium wage because of the hours and it is the hardest position to fill.”

People who want to apply are urged to bring a current resume and applications are available at www.amerilodgegroup.com and can be filled out and submitted Tuesday.

“It will save you a step in the process if you choose to do it that way,” Esper said.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached via email at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5689. Follow Steve on Twitter ss_alpenanews.