Friends, family and dignitaries look on as General Manager Craig Waldrop (holding scissors) prepares to “cut the ribbon.” Elizabeth Waring, standing next to Lucas Waring, holds the left end of the ribbon while Darlisa Williams holds the right end.
By Lynette Norris
Greene Publishing, Inc.
A thin, smoky haze from a wildfire several miles away got a couple of comments from people, but it wasn’t enough to put a damper on the fun at the Best Western PLUS Madison Inn’s Grand Opening, Friday, March 25.
Friends, relatives, representatives of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce and other dignitaries were there to congratulate new owners Lucas and Elizabeth Waring and General Manager Craig Waldrop, wishing them luck and success.
Even the Best Western #00 Street Car, identical to the car driven for the Best Western franchise by NASCAR Driver David Reutimann, put in an appearance for the occasion and proved to be quite popular. Guests at Friday’s event posed beside the car and had their pictures taken behind the wheel.
Owner Lucas Waring took everyone on a tour, first to the facility’s pool area, where old weathered awnings and other worn-looking items have been replaced to give the area a fresh, new look. Inside, the 90s décor has been updated with new crown molding and new carpet. The floor in the meeting area is a ceramic tile that looks exactly like old wooden plank flooring, and throughout the facility, the generic beige walls have been brightened with a warmer, richer palette of saffron and pumpkin colors. Each room, instead of being painted all one color, now has an accent wall of a different hue behind the beds. Each one also now has a new flat-screen TV, in addition to microwave, mini-fridge, and other standard amenities.
The meeting room boasts a breakfast bar with a rotating selection of items, so that guests who stay more than one night will have different choices each morning; and should they overindulge in one or more menu items, there is a fitness center just down the hall, with everything needed to stay in shape while traveling.
For this Grand Opening event, the meeting area tables were loaded with pastries and goodies of all sorts. Friends and family sampled homemade refreshments as well as trying out the tempting breakfast bar.
Just outside the front entrance, the star of the show, the Best Western #00 Toyota Camry Street Car parked under the breezeway, gathered a slew of admirers.
“As a member of the Best Western worldwide family, we are proud to partner with Michael Waltrip racing,” said Craig Waldrop, General Manager, adding that the franchise has a number of on-going special offers and programs for racing fans – North America’s fastest growing sport. In 2004, Best Western launched Speed Rewards, a free, frequent-guest program designed specifically for race fans. Members can earn free nights anywhere in the world, as well as dining and shopping certificates, and are eligible for special sweepstakes and promotional offerings.
Located at 167 SE Bandit St., the Best Western PLUS Madison Inn offers 58 rooms to accommodate guests in total comfort. Contact Best Western PLUS Madison Inn directly at 850-973-2020 or call Best Western’s 24 hour toll-free reservation number at 1 (800) WESTERN, or visit the web site at www.bestwestern.com
