Oct. 27--Even with the heavy travel season over, Lebanon County's newest hotel is exceeding expectations.

Since opening in early June, "it's going better than we expected," said Mike Washington, general manager of Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 2205 E. Cumberland St.

Washington moved here from a Holiday Inn Express on Route 183 in Reading, near the Reading Airport.

"I didn't know what to expect," he said. "This was a new market."

Many first-time guests stayed at the new hotel while visiting Hersheypark and other Hershey attractions this summer. With prices $60 to $70 below comparable hotels in the immediate Hershey area, owner Niraj Parekh said, Hershey visitors were willing to drive extra miles to cut down on expenses. The hotel averaged 35 daily bookings in mid-summer.

Although business from Hersheypark has slowed, there are other activities bringing visitors into the area.

"People are coming for the Renaissance Faire (just south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Mt. Hope), shows at the Expo Center and the Manheim Auto Auction," Washington said. "We've also had some companies come on board."

Those include Schott Pharmaceutical, Bayer Corp. and Hauck Manufacturing, which refer out-of-town and sometimes out-of-country guests to the hotel.

The 72-room Holiday Inn Express is one of the Lebanon Valley Expo Center's corporate sponsors; the center is four miles away.

Local sports tournaments have been another good source of business.

"This weekend is busy," Washington said of the past couple of days. "There's a gymnastics event at the (Lebanon Valley Family YMCA). We've also had people here for soccer, lacrosse and baseball."

In the Net sports complex, near Campbelltown, frequently holds weekend competitions and camps that attract out-of-state participants.

The only negative, Washington said, was the lack of places to eat near the North Lebanon Township hotel.

Because Holiday Inn Express doesn't have its own dining facility, except for a free breakfast area, Washington said, the first question he hears from many guests is, "Where can we eat?"

"I wish we could get more restaurants nearby," he said.

Washington noted that there is a vacant parcel adjacent to Holiday Inn Express.

stevesnyder@ldnews.com; 272-5611, ext. 152

-----

To see more of the Lebanon Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ldnews.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, Lebanon Daily News, Pa.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.