Celebration was the overriding theme at a ceremony held to mark construction of the first new hotel to be built in the city in the past several years. The new Courtyard by Marriott hotel will be located in Railroad Sq., one block from the city's downtown business district.

Officials from Schleicher & Stebbins Hotels, Oleo Corp., and the City of Keene attended the event, along with representatives from local businesses and Keene State College.

Pro Con Inc. is the design builder for the $8.1 million hotel project. S&S Hotels and Oleo Corp. are the hotel owners, and Colwen Management will manage the hotel. Laconia Savings Bank is providing the financing.

The hotel's owners intend to make the Courtyard by Marriott LEED certified from the US Green Building Council. Pro Con Inc plans to use regional and recycled materials in construction and incorporate environmentally beneficial strategies in the hotel's development and daily operations. The 65,795 s/f, 5-story hotel will offer 100 guestrooms, including 4 suites. Plans include a bistro and lounge area, 2,100 s/f of flexible meeting space, a business center, guest market and an indoor pool and fitness room. Pro Con has scheduled a May 2010 completion date for the new hotel.

Mark Stebbins, principal of Schleicher & Stebbins Hotels welcomed guests to the construction celebration and introduced Christine Thomas of Northern Sites Development Services, Clayton LaBarre of Marriott International, Mary Jane Ricker of Laconia Savings Bank and Dale Pregent, mayor of Keene. Members of the Monadnock Economic Development Corp. and the hotel's management team were also introduced.

"S&S Hotels and Oleo Corp. are very excited to be developing Keene's first green hotel," said Stebbins. "We look forward to the partnering with the local businesses in Keene and becoming part of this vibrant and charming downtown community."

Schleicher & Stebbins Hotels' portfolio includes 19 hotel properties throughout the Northeast, including Renaissance, Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, Town Place Suites and SpringHill Suites, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Ashworth by the Sea, a full service hotel on the seacoast of New Hampshire.

S & S Hotels was recently awarded Marriott International's Partnership Circle Award, Marriott's highest honor recognizing owner and franchise companies that embody Marriott's vision of excellence in hospitality, development, guest satisfaction, associate satisfaction and quality assurance.
The company continues to concentrate on dynamic, high quality properties and is presently working on additional projects in Florida, N.Y., Mass. and N.H.

Oleo Corp. is a lodging development and holding company formed in 1995 by Leo Xarras and Bruce Armitage. They have more than 20 years of diverse hotel management, development and investment background. Past projects in New England and the Dominican Republic have afforded experience in lodging acquisition, renovation, and construction and historic restoration with a track record of establishing profitable performance combined with community good will. The company has operated the Castle Hill Resort and Spa and the Pointe Hotel at Castle Hill Resort in Cavendish, Vt. affiliated with Small Luxury Hotels and Historic Hotels of America. Concurrent to lodging development projects, Oleo Corp. has developed over $100 million in non-lodging commercial and residential assets.

Colwen Management Inc. manages a portfolio of full service and limited service hotel properties across the northeastern. Colwen Management oversees the management of hotel properties, directs all activities within the properties, and maintains standards set by Marriott, Hilton and owners.

Pro Con Inc. is a full service architecture, engineering and construction management firm specializing in commercial, hospitality, institutional, industrial and multi-family residential projects. The company is recognized as an industry leader and is known for their single source design-build delivery system, "The Diamond Solution."