Cobblestone Hotel will Open in July

Construction on the new Cobblestone Hotel & Suites is scheduled to be completed in mid-June, and the hotel plans to open to the public on July 10.

Jeremy Griesbach, the company’s president of development, announced in mid-May that the hotel would open in Holdrege on July 10.

After an October groundbreaking, construction began on the new $4 million, 45-room, two-story hotel in November. It is located at 814 Burlington Street on the busy Highway 183 corridor. The Phelps County Development Corporation was a leader in organizing the investor group for the hotel and spurring the project after a hotel study indicated the need for more overnight accommodations in Holdrege.

The COVID-19 pandemic only slightly delayed construction as crews were kept smaller starting in March to allow for social distancing. As of mid-May, contractors were finishing the parking lot and installing flooring, furniture, fixtures and equipment. They were hoping to complete construction and hand the keys over to operations by mid-June.

In mid-May, the company also was interviewing candidates for the general manager role at the new hotel. Griesbach expected hiring for other full or part-time staff to begin in late May to early June. Typical hiring plans would have included job fairs, but those plans are altered in today’s COVID-19 environment.

“We will have to work through the hiring process virtually,” Griesbach said.

Griesbach said they were happy with the pool of candidates who applied for the general manager position. Those interested in working in other positions at the hotel may email Andrew Wright at awright@whgco.com.

The Holdrege Cobblestone is currently accepting reservations for stays after September 1 on the hotel’s website at www.staycobblestone.com/ne/holdrege. Reservations for rooms needed in July or August (for weddings or reunions) can be made by contacting Andrew Wright as well. July and August single-stay reservation dates will open on the website after a solid opening date is set.

Griesbach said a grand opening celebration will be planned for later in the summer.

“Normally, we get the hotel open and get through the kinks, and then 60 days after that we plan an official ribbon-cutting,” he said. “We are just really excited about getting it open here in the next 30-60 days and being part of the Holdrege community for the long term.”

The hotel has a Facebook page (Cobblestone Inn & Suites – Holdrege) where fans can follow for the latest information on construction, hiring and opening updates.

The hotel is constructed on Washington Square, which still has opportunities available north of the new hotel for commercial/retail operations. Anyone interested in developments in Washington Square should contact Ron Tillery at Ron@PhelpsCountyNE.com or (308) 995-4148.