Holiday Inn Express opens in Donegal Township

From the two-story high stone-cased fire place to the timber-framed indoor pool, the new Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Donegal is not a cookie cutter hotel.

"Everybody loves it. They say about how unique it is and how it is different from any hotel they have ever been in," said General Manager Nicole Lytle.

The new facility, located along Route 31, is owned by L & T Enterprises, LLC whose principals are Larry Liprando of Mt. Pleasant Township and his brother Tom Liprando of Irwin and brothers John and Paul Toohey, both of Mt. Pleasant Township.

"We are happy to be able to provide jobs for local people and to be able to provide tax revenue to the school district and the local municipalities," John Toohey said.

This is not the Liprandos' first hotel or even first Holiday Inn Express but it is their most distinctive. "We wanted to set the standard for Holiday Inn Express and Suites. That was our goal," Larry Liprando said.

The vision for the hotel was to create a four seasons facility that would appeal to tourists year round.

Every aspect of the lodge was designed to compliment the beautiful vistas of the Laurel Highlands that surround it.

"It turned out fantastic, absolutely beautiful. It is beyond what I envisioned it would be," said John Toohey.

Larry Liprando said his wife Tammy Liprando was instrumental in achieving the great attention to detail in carrying the rustic theme throughout every aspect of the hotel's decor.

"I knew I wanted it to be rustic and reflect the area that surrounds the hotel and that is how I like to decorate. It has a warm and more welcome feeling," Tammy Liprando said.

The hardest part of the designing process was getting approval for many of the unique items the Liprandos wanted to use. Everything in the hotel had to be signed off on by the Intercontinental Hotel Group which franchises the Holiday Inn Express and Suites brand.

"I ended up being able to do more than what I thought I was going to be able to do. I went everywhere looking for stuff," Tammy Liprando said.

Liprando said the other partners' wives, Jeanne Toohey and Lisa Toohey along with Phyllis Snyder, manager of the Mt. Pleasant Holiday Inn Express, helped a great deal. She also gave credit to the contractors. "They worked tons of hours and did a lot of specialty work, a lot of care was taken to build this hotel," she said.

The facility has 73 rooms including 15 suites each with a Jacuzzi and six ADA rooms. All rooms are equipped with flat screen televisions, microwaves, coffee pots, and ironing boards.

An Express Start Breakfast Bar which overlooks the timber-framed indoor pool and Jacuzzi, offers a free buffet-style hot breakfast for guests. Other amenities include an exercise room, business center and meeting room.

Kay Barton from Columbus, Ohio, and several members of her family were some of the very first guests at the new hotel. The group was in town for a family reunion and was excited to be able to stay in the hotel the first night they were open.

"It was wonderful. Everything was just first class and all the people who worked there were so friendly," she said.

One of the things that impressed Barton the most was the indoor pool which she said her nieces and nephews enjoyed. "The best thing was the breakfast. They had omelets and the pancake machine was great," she said.