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  • WINNER’S CHOICE AGAIN! - FREE: 1) 1-hour photo shoot & 3 free photos, 2) Facebook marketing consultation, 3) branded Powerpoint template, 4) branded designed coupon, 5) business card size handout & 60 copies. Drop your card into Cynroc’s bling box when you check in, drawing will be during the meeting!

  • 8% Discount – Thrifty Car Rentals.  Contact Carla Ulschak (406) 259-0106

  • FREE Employee Group Tours – Western Heritage Center! Increase your knowledge of this great local attraction and learn about regional history.  Contact Lisa Olmsted  ([email protected] ) 256-6809


  • OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE CLOSE TO AIRPORT AND DOWNTOWN. The Rimrock
    Inn at 1203 North 27th
    Street in Billings is
    converting its hotel into
    professional office space
    combined with a new Rock
    Pile Restaurant.  A great location!  For information, please contact Jay Doucette
    at 406-670-6097.


BILLINGS BACK ON TOP
MARCH 2014

Of note: These numbers reflect the change of RevPAR  from February to March.

  • Statewide RevPAR increased in March (41.37) from February (37.06) by 11.63%.
  • Billings’ RevPAR increased from February to March, and is ahead of the state in March by 36.52%.

RevPAR – increases across the board!

  • 7.92% - percentage of increase in RevPAR, year to date, 2014 over 2013, in Billings, Montana
  • 17.5% - percentage of increase in RevPAR, Mar 2014 over Mar 2013, in Billings, Montana
  • Mar RevPar rates in Montana cities:
    • 56.48 – Billings (up from Feb 49.69)
    • 49.24 – Great Falls (up from Feb 40.79)
    • 48.01 – Bozeman (up from Feb 40.05)
    • 43.19 – Helena (up from Feb 39.81)
    • 37.94 – Missoula (up from Feb 32.32)

 

 

 

 

QUICK BITES

529 Business Travelers were recently polled in a survey commissioned by Choice Hotels International. They were asked: What is most important?

  • 73% - Location of hotel
  • 61% - Quality of room
  • 55% - Free Wi-Fi (Most utilized multiple devices and expect access to free Wi-Fi wherever they go.)
  • Most prefer to work in their rooms (Think before you spend big bucks on fancy business centers)
  • 76% book online
  • 60% have checked in using smartphone or tablet. (New technology more popular than old)

Of 148.3 million travel bookings (Stats from Fabian Bartnick, April 28, 2014, Hotelmarketing.com):

  • 57% of all travel reservations are made on the Internet
  • 65% of same-day hotel reservations are made from a smartphone
  • 81% of travelers find user reviews important
  • 49% of travelers won’t book without reviews

SUPER SALES TRAINING FROM MLHA

June 1-3 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Billings! Click here for more info & registration.

HOTEL WATCH IN BILLINGS!

Photos without snow! Huge milestone. Here are the latest and greatest – in info and photos all taken May 12. There continue to be 8-11 new hotels rumored, planned, or in construction –1, Ledgestone completed and opened in March, and 6 more in serious construction at this time. Please check the YCLA website http://www.yellowstonecountylodgingassociation.com/hotelwatch.html for updates between newsletters. And, as always … we will strive to keep you up to date via our research into the status of new hotels, being built or rumored, in the Billings/Yellowstone County area. Resources are Billings Gazette, Big Sky EDA, YCLA member properties, and Cynroc photography.: 

  • Homewood Suites – photo May 12, 2014
    • Status:  Siding going on and no snow on the ground! Looking nice!
    • General: a Hilton extended-stay hotel, 4-story, 110 rooms with full kitchens, hot breakfast and light dinners served with beer or wine Monday through Thursday.  Pool, hot tub, fitness room, sport court/billiards room, 2 outdoor patios. Erck Hotel group of Missoula.
    • Location: 3120 Ember Lane, off Zoo Drive and Interstate 90, between the Hampton Inn & Suites and The Big Horn Resort.
    • Completion: Opening date set July 1, 2014 at a cost of $13-14 million
    • Rates: Winter room rates will be approximately $130 and rise to $150 in summer.


  • Home2 Suites – photo April 2, 2014
    • Status: Stagnant since last month. Equipment and materials still staging at the old Carmike Theater. Completion previously estimated for spring 2014 will be pushed out. Don Cape’s idea was for location near to Jake’s West End.  
    • General: 105 rooms, a Hilton extended-stay hotel, modern design, kitchens in the rooms and a work wall that doubles as an entertainment area for guests
    • Location: Property being negotiated on the west end.
    • Completion: Estimated March/April 2014 at a cost of $9.4 million
    • Rates: approximately $100 per night.

  • TownePlace Suites – photo May 12, 2014
    • Status: Foundation getting prepared. Moved a lot of dirt in a short time.
    • General: a Residence by Marriott, extended-stay hotel, 94 rooms, 4 stories
    • Location: 2480 Grant Road, behind Home Depot, directly across from the Billings Hilton Garden Inn
    • Completion: Originally estimated fall 2014 – might be an ambitious date
    • Rates: listed in all research as “mid-price”

  • Holiday Inn Express – photo May 12, 2014 
    • Status: Tremendous progress in the last month, framed in 4 floors.
    • General: 89 rooms, $8.4 million, No specific info at this time. Sign shows 5-story hotel.
    • Location: 3431 Ember Lane, across from the Hampton Inn & Suites and the new Homewood Suites, in front of the Rib & Chop House on Ember Lane off Zoo Drive and Interstate 90.
    • Completion: sign states 2014
    • Rates: $131 per night (per website, other HIExpress in Billings)

  • LaQuinta – photo May 12, 2014
    • Status: Siding going on, LaQuinta trim and windows. Progressing fast.
    • General: Four story, 85 rooms. Their “new urban design – stucco and stone. A Midwest Ventures Kelly Inn property
    • Location: Frontage Road next to Cracker Barrel Restaurant
    • Completion: No date known at this time, but progress is rapid.
    • Rates: No info at this time.

  • My Place Hotel – photo May 12, 2014
    • Status: Amazing progress in past month, from stacks of wood to completed frame. Working on roof.
    • General: 64 rooms
    • Location: 4770 King Ave. E., between Burger King and Cabela’s
    • Completion:
    • Rates:

YCLA MAY MEMBERS' MEETING

YCLA Meeting – May 21, 2014, 12:30pm at the Northern! Lunch will be $15.

Guest Speaker:

EVENTS TO PLAN ON

MetraPark – Great events likely to bring out-of-town guests to Billings! 

  • Special Olympics Summer Games Opening Ceremonies – May 14
  • Three Horse Series – May 17
  • Montana Women’s Expo – May 17
  • All-Breed Open and Arabian Horse Show – May 24-25
  • Skyview, Senior, West High School Graduations – June 1
  • Three Horse Series – June 7
  • Jewel of the Big Sky Appaloosa Show – June 13-15
  • Motor Carriers of Montana Truck Driving Championship – June 14
  • Energy Exposition – June 25 – 26
  • Montana Fair – Aug 8-16
  • Chris Young & Danielle Bradbery – Aug 8
  • Train w/Striking Matches – Aug 9
  • Pop Evil & Adelitas Way – Aug 10
  • Billings Market Association (Private Show) – Sept 19 – 21
  • Living Proof Live with Beth Moore – Oct 24-25

WHAT VISIT BILLINGS IS DOING FOR US!

Please click here to view booked and pending events – dates, room nights, and more.
Please click here for the full attendee packet.

Also, the full report can always be found on this page of the VisitBillings website http://www.visitbillings.com/tbid.php

 

 

   
   
 

 

General Area Information:
Billings Chamber of Commerce
815 South 27th Street Billings, MT 59101 (406) 245-4111