US: The Blake, a 108-key extended stay hotel in New Haven, Connecticut, has opened its doors.
Named after Alice Blake, the first woman to matriculate from Yale Law School, the Blake features a rooftop bar and the city’s first Michelin-starred chef, Matt Lambert.
Developer Randy Salvatore and his wife Claire were joined by Mayor Toni Harp and several other city and business leaders in an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.
“As you all know, we are continually active in developing other significant projects here, and I am personally so bullish on New Haven’s future,” Salvatore said in his speech prior to the ribbon-cutting. “I hope and expect that the hotel and restaurant will become the central gathering place for residents and visitors of New Haven for generations to come.”
“We saw a big need for extended-stay hotels in the city, so we wanted to create a space that would deliver the quality of a world-class hotel, regardless of whether guests stay for one night or for a month,” he added.
The 108 rooms, nine of which are complete suites, all include a full kitchen.
Steve Fontana, New Haven’s deputy director of economic development, agreed that the city’s various educational, professional and entertainment opportunities make extended-stay hotels a source of high demand that needs to be met. He said that employees of Yale and local hospitals, as well as individuals coming to visit museums or events in New Haven, could benefit from the availability of long-term rooming.
“Whether people are travelling for business or pleasure, they’re gonna want to have something other than a typical hotel. New Haven’s intersection of various attractions make it a city that tends to attract people who need extended, higher-end residences.”
