By Conrad Dudderar
Associate Editor
The latest addition to a booming business corridor on the south side of Interstate 40, Yukon’s newest hotel hosted an opening house this week.
Avid Hotel, 1609 West End Pointe Drive (behind Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse), opened in early December 2019 but just recently hosted a grand opening.
Yukon residents and business leaders attended the Jan. 28th open house, held in conjunction with a Yukon Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting.
The event featured a taco truck, cake, refreshments (highlighted by margaritas and champagne); along with live music provided by Oklahoma City guitar master Edgar Cruz.
Avid Hotels is InterContinential Hotels Group (IHG)’s newest brand.
Yukon’s 46,000 square foot Avid Hotel is “for people looking for just a simple hotel room with a quality name and everything with IHG’s backing on it,” owner Manesh Patel said.
Avid is geared toward travelers and has many technology features to target the “younger crowd.”
General manager Ryan Martin welcomed open house attendees to tour the 96-room, four-story hotel.
Guests at the grand opening celebration were invited to tour the hotel’s rooms – which feature 55-inch televisions, high-quality mattresses, black-out roller shades, work desks, open storage, and noise-reducing headboards.
Other amenities include a 24-hour fitness center, pool and comfortable workspace. Avid Hotel offers free “grab and go” breakfast, 24-hour market and 24-hour bean-to-cup coffee.
Yukon’s newest hotel is owned by Manesh and Alka Patel, who also own the 81-unit Holiday Inn Express just north of Avid at 700 Shedeck Parkway. Holiday Inn Express, which opened in 2008, recently underwent a major renovation.
The Patels also are bringing to Yukon a four-story Candlewood Suites. This extended-stay hotel is expected to open by the end of 2020 to the east of Avid behind Logan’s Roadhouse and Hibdon Tires Plus.
Yukon’s commercial district south of I-40 is due to see further growth soon with the addition of a new 63,000 square foot Atwoods Ranch and Home store directly south of the new Avid Hotel.
A new restaurant is among other retailers expected to be coming to the site west of Yukon’s AMC movie theater.
Yukon’s newest hotel is the fourth Avid nationwide, according to brand marketing director Adam DeLange.
“All four of our first Avid hotels opened right here in the great State of Oklahoma – three in the greater Oklahoma City area,” DeLange said. “We are now starting to expand elsewhere around the country, but this has always been – and will always be – our home.”
