Residence Inn set to open next summer

After something of a building boom in the first part of this decade, Helena's inventory of hotel rooms has remained fairly steady for several years.

That's about to change. Jena Sabatini, who already owns the Hampton Inn on Hwy. 12 East, announced this week that, JADE Management, the company owned by her and her husband, Andy, has been awarded a franchise to build a 91-room Residence Inn by Marriott.

The hotel is slated to go in the Burnham Ranch Market Place development on the north side of Custer Avenue and north of the Helena Regional Airport. Sabatini said she hopes to break ground in September and be open sometime next summer.

The Residence Inn chain is designed for longer-term stays. Sabatini anticipates that half her customers will stay for five nights or more. Even the studio suites offer more space than a traditional hotel room, with separate bed and "living room" areas as well as full kitchens.

Sabatini said the longer-term guests "tend to be consultants, people doing project work, IT projects, and families relocating. The consulting work is often geared around government projects."

The Sabatinis have owned the Hampton Inn since 2005. That hotel was built in 2003, and the Best Western Helena Great Northern opened a year later. Those were the last two major additions to the city's inventory.

"We've had people stay for six or seven months (at the Hampton) on some projects," Sabatini said. "And it's really difficult to be in a hotel room that long without those additional ameneties."

Bold-er Grocer: After owning the business for eight years, Laurie and Patty Vossler have built a new building for their L&P Grocery in Boulder. A new 7,900 square-foot grocery opened late last month in the parking lot of the old building.

"We just felt that we like Boulder, it's our town and our friends and family all live here, we've had the business for eight years and our customers have treated us good, so we figured what the heck," Laurie Vossler said. He said the new building was possible because of help from Associated Foods in Helena and the First Boulder Valley Bank.

Vossler said the business has added a half-dozen employees for the new space, for a total of 15 plus the owners. In addition to a pharmacy that will open June 1, the new space includes expanded meat and produce departments, coffee and soft drink bars as well as hot dogs and other snacks.

E-mail your Open for Business ideas to john.harrington@

helenair.com.