Monday night was the grand opening of the Baymont Inn and Suites in Minot, located at 1609-35th Ave. SW near the YMCA.
The atmosphere was one of community as staff, businesspeople and locals gathered for a ribbon cutting and refreshments.
The hotel itself has been open since late September.
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Jesse D. Watson/MDN
Maria Zafra, left side, in black next to the scissor-holder, is the general manager for both the Baymont Inn and Suites and the next-door La Quinta, both in Minot. She stands with staff as the ribbon is cut for the Baymont’s grand opening Monday.
"We've been blessed," Maria Zafra, the general manager said, smiling.
Twenty-three years in the hospitality business, she will have been in Minot for a year come January and likes the "Norman Rockwell atmosphere."
"I hope my kids can appreciate the difference, the less frantic pace of life," she confessed.
Fact Box
Econo Lodge open in Minot
Econo Lodge by Choice Hotels, located at 3913 N. Broadway in Minot, opened Tuesday.
The newly constructed hotel has 66 rooms and also an exercise room. The hotel's offerings include complimentary breakfast, free Wifi and free coffee 24 hours a day. Each room includes cable TV with HBO, wired and wireless Internet, a microwave and fridge.
The hotel is located 2 miles north of the Minot International Airport.
She said they've been lucky to have great corporate business, but it's the local community that excites her the most. "We want to open our doors to the local public," she said, in a room crowded with locals.
When asked about the weather difference between Minot and Florida, she simply confided that "Every place has something good to offer." She feels happy to be included in such a good economy and is excited for her kids to be here.
The builder for the Baymont is out of Fargo, and sister hotels have recently been constructed in both Fargo and Bismarck.
Next door to Minot's Baymont is a La Quinta, open since March and also under Zafra's cheerful management. "Again, business has been good! We're just blessed."
The grand opening for the Minot La Quinta happens today from 4 to 7 p.m. It's a masquerade with snacks and refreshments, and the public is more than welcome.