Holiday Inn West Bay/Sleeping Bear Weighs Options

April 11, 2007

HERE TO STAY
The Holiday Inn West Bay in Traverse City is trying to stamp out a destructive rumor that has been whispered around town over the past year. In short, there’s no truth to the claim that the landmark hotel will be sold and turned into condos.
“These rumors could not be further from the truth. We have recently entered into an agreement to extend our Holiday Inn franchise until 2012,” said William Wolfe, president of the Castrop Wolfe Development Company, which manages the hotel. “The Holiday Inn West Bay is a long-standing Traverse City landmark. We are committed to being a Holiday Inn and maintaining a standard of excellence in serving the people and visitors of Traverse City, both now and in the future. The Holiday Inn West Bay is here to stay.”
Over the last couple of years, the company spent $600,000 on renovations on the Holiday Inn for items such as all new guestroom furniture, an updated telephone system and upgrades to Shimmers Nightclub.
The bayside hotel also has a new general manager, Deborah Brown, who brings a track record of success at major hotels in Ohio to her new post in Traverse City.


SLEEPING BEAR
WEIGHS THE OPTIONS
After being sharply criticized several years ago for proposing a wilderness plan without adequate public input, the staff at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore are knocking themselves out to make sure that members of the public are kept in the loop.
In late March, the park mailed 2,400 copies of a 12-page glossy newsletter to interested parties. The General Management Plan/Wilderness Study newsletter offers updates on the park‘s future direction, along with reminders of upcoming public meetings.
Postage-paid comment cards have also been included to seek public input on the four courses of action proposed for the park. Those options range from taking no action to improve the park, to that of concentrating visitor usage in specific areas and encouraging more natural, primitive conditions throughout the rest of the park.
The preferred option for Sleeping Bear‘s future is expected to be selected by this fall, or the summer of 2008 at the latest, with implementation in the winter of 2008.
The park also has a new web forum to seek public input. Check out the latest plans and air your opinion at www.nps.gov/slbe.