Roselle's first hotel opens Friday

Roselle officials are preparing to welcome the village's first hotel, which officially opens Friday.

The new Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, at 1490 W. Lake St., has 101 rooms, a swimming pool, fitness center, 30-person meeting room and an attached 24,000-square-foot conference center.

Mayor Gayle Smolinski said she's ecstatic about the new addition to the community.

"When I first came into office in 1993, I had a list of things to accomplish and this is the last thing on my list," she said. "So I'm pretty darned excited."

Smolinski said the hotel will benefit the community in a number of ways.

For starters, visitors will be able to in town instead of having to find a hotel room in another community. In addition, there's meeting space available for area businesses. Lastly, the facility will generate much needed hotel and motel tax revenue for the village, Smolinski said.

Usually, the village uses its general operating budget to promote tourism. Now those general funds can be used elsewhere since the hotel tax is available.

Smolinski said the facility was in the planning stages for a year-and-a-half before construction began.

The land where the hotel now stands previously was vacant. Construction started in April. The completed facility will employ more than 25 people.

"We're looking forward to an exciting and growing relationship with the village of Roselle while representing the Country Inn & Suites," said Eric Lightner, the hotel's general manager.

Smolinski said the hotel will complements the area around it.

"I just think combined with the Cornerstone Plaza," she said, "it's going to make a great entrance for that whole area."

The hotel group is in the process of opening 450 new facilities throughout the world.