How will this county’s first hotel affect the local economy?

Construction on a Woodford County hotel is progressing, with plans calling for it to open in the summer.

The hotel, a Holiday Inn Express, will be at 365 Commerce Drive, near Lexington Road and the Versailles bypass.

It is being built and will be managed by Lexington-based H&W Management, which builds and manages hotels across the state.

Don Howard, president of H&W Management, said construction began three months ago, and he hopes to interior work will begin by December.

Once open, the hotel is expected to provide 25 jobs. Howard said he plans to conduct a future wage survey to determine what the jobs will pay.

The hotel is predicted to aid in Woodford County’s economy, which has no overnight lodging accommodations except for bed and breakfasts. Despite having no overnight accommodations, Woodford County is home to tourist attractions, such as Woodford Reserve, Castle Post and eventually Castle & Key distillery, which tentatively scheduled to fully open sometime in 2018.

John Soper, chairman of the Woodford Economic Development Authority, said Woodford County is also home to many sporting events and out-of-town visitors frequently have to stay in other counties that have hotels.

“We missed out here on not having a hotel in the past,” Soper said.

The four-floor Versailles hotel will have “Formula Blue” design, which incorporates guest rooms with flexible work space, movable seating, storage units with a horizontal luggage component and a neutral color palette. It will consist of 82 rooms, including 18 suites.

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 9:36 AM with the headline "How will this county’s first hotel affect the local economy?."