Holiday Inn Express nearing completion

The long-awaited Holiday Inn Express is inching closer to opening on the busy highway running through town.

Located at 861 S. Highway 160, it is tentatively set to begin operation on Sept. 15 with minor finishing touches on the building need to be completed.

Making the opening much more of a reality, Jace Burgess of Safari Hospitality, the property management company which runs the hotel, said rooms are available online.

"We are currently taking reservations on our website for room nights on or after Oct. 15th, he said. "This will be in effect until we open."

The hiring process, which began last month, has been completed and the staff are gearing up toward opening day.

"We are fully staffed now and our general manager, Mandy Gendreau, is working hard to make sure we are ready to hit the ground running," Burgess said. "Pahrump has been great to work in so far and we are excited to get everything finished."

Gendreau, a single mother of three, was pleased with the hiring process, and said that there were more than enough qualified applicants for the available positions.

"The hiring process went very nicely once the wonderful ladies at the Nye County building offered their assistance, as there was an overwhelming number of applicants," said Gendreau.

With the hiring finished the crew is diligently putting the final touches on the town's newest addition to ensure an as seamless of an opening as possible.

"Right now the staff is working very hard at getting the hotel cleaned up, they are getting all the furniture in place and construction is winding down," Gendreau said.

The 104-room, smoke-free hotel added 18 permanent jobs to the valley, in addition to the dozens of construction jobs needed to erect the building.

The 60,000-square-foot, three-story facility will feature will have an outdoor pool and spa and a fitness center. Each room will include a flat screen television, a microwave, coffee maker and a mini fridge.

Gendreau moved to the area over a year ago and is glad she could be a part of bringing such a major business to the area and is aiming to work with the town to make sure it fits in seamlessly.

"We are very excited to be opening the Holiday Inn Express and Suites here in Pahrump," she said. "This town was in great need of more hotel rooms and we are happy to bring that. All the local businesses have been very kind and helpful and we look forward to joining this community."