VERONA — The Oneida Indian Nation believes the Sandstone Hollow Inn in Verona will help it meet the “growing demand” for rooms at the Turning Stone Resort Casino. The Oneida Nation rebranded the venue the Sandstone Hollow Inn after acquiring the property. The hotel was formerly known as the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham. […]
VERONA — The Oneida Indian Nation believes the Sandstone Hollow Inn in Verona will help it meet the “growing demand” for rooms at the Turning Stone Resort Casino.
The Oneida Nation rebranded the venue the Sandstone Hollow Inn after acquiring the property. The hotel was formerly known as the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham.
The terms of the purchase agreement are “confidential,” Joel Barkin, VP of communications at the Oneida Indian Nation, tells CNYBJ in an email.
Located at 5118 State Route 365, next to Turning Stone’s Sandstone Hollow Golf Course, the hotel makes 81 additional rooms available to visitors, the Oneida Nation says.
The Oneida Nation closed the hotel for a few days to complete a changeover to its own systems and branding. The property reopened to the public as Sandstone Hollow Inn on Feb. 12. The Oneida Nation also sees its newest property as “the latest indicator of positive economic growth in the region.”
“The Oneida Indian Nation is making this investment to accommodate the public’s increased demand for Turning Stone,” Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation representative and Oneida Nation Enterprises CEO, said in a statement. “This purchase will add much-needed additional accommodations for the growing number of visitors looking to enjoy the amenities at Turning Stone and people coming to visit the region.”
Turning Stone Resort Casino draws more than 4.5 million visitors from across the country to the area annually, the Oneida Nation said.
The “majority” of Microtel’s 20 employees have been retained to work at the new hotel. Some of the employees chose to leave, and some “weren’t able to meet our standards,” per Barkin’s message.
With the hotel’s occupancy to “increase significantly” after reopening, the Oneida Nation anticipates it will likely require additional staff to meet the demand.
Guests staying at Sandstone Hollow Inn will receive complimentary shuttle service to Turning Stone. Sandstone Hollow Inn — which derives its name from the land’s original use as a sandstone quarry — will also offer continental breakfast service, laundry facilities, and will welcome guests traveling with dogs.
Another hotel is also on the way with Lenox, Massachusetts–based Benchmark Development announcing last fall that it is building a Hampton Inn by Hilton on Oneida Nation lands, adjacent to Turning Stone. It anticipates opening that 64,000-square-foot, 109-room property at 5186 Route 365 this summer.