Red River Inn undergoing $400k makeover

Clarendon’s Best Western Red River Inn will soon have a new look inside and out as hotel owner Steve Hall carries out a $400,000 renovation of the facility.

The hotel which opened in February 2004 was upgraded to Best Western Plus status about two years ago. The improvements to the hotel are part of that rating, but Hall said he would have wanted to renovate the 10-year-old facility anyway.

“It’s necessary to this business to stay fresh and new and give the consumer what they deserve,” Hall said. “The consumer today is also a lot more discerning now than in the past.”

Planning for the renovation began in the middle of 2013, and much of the interior has been renovated since that time.

Wallpaper has been replaced by new textured and painted walls, and new tile has been laid in the lobby and breakfast area. New furniture is currently in storage waiting to be installed, and other new finishes such as curtains are on the horizon.

“The interior is being entirely with the exception of the pool area,” Hall said.

The first exterior work was done earlier this year when the driveway was replaced with stamped and colored concrete.

Workers on scaffolding are now resurfacing the exterior EFIS to give the building a new color scheme that is expected to be completed in two to three weeks.

Next on the remodeling agenda, stonework will be added to the façade of the building, and then LED uplighting will be added to the east side of the hotel.

“This will give us a fresh, updated look,” said Hall, who has owned the property since 2005.

Hall says he’s built a lot of repeat customers over the years, and the Red River Inn has a commitment to customer satisfaction that is reflected in surveys of Best Western guests.

Out of some 2,000 Best Western properties in the United States, Clarendon’s Red River Inn is ranked in the top ten percent for overall guest satisfaction.

Hall’s personal philosophy drives that commitment to service.

“I want to operate the best, nicest place we can,” he said.