The Best Western Plus West Lawrence opened Oct. 19 at 6101 Rock Chalk Drive in Lawrence, Kansas. The first property developed at Lawrence’s mixed-use site The Mercato, the 112-room hotel features upgraded guest amenities, a full-service lobby bar with big screen TVs and an indoor saltwater pool, fitness center, grilling patio and fire pits in the outdoor courtyard.
The hotel also offers 840 square feet of meeting space that can be divided if required, complete with full A/V equipment.
Developed by Wichita, Kansas-based Steve Martens, chief executive officer of The Martens Companies and his hotel development subsidiary, Hospitality Development of America, the $14.5 million property employs 30 people. Judy Riling is general manager and Kevin Brady is assistant general manager. Martens will manage the hotel through another of his subsidiaries, Hospitality Management LLC.
This is Martens’ fourth Best Western-branded property and his fifth hotel overall in Kansas and Oklahoma. Martens was named Best Western’s Developer of the Year in 2016. His Best Western Plus Norman (Oklahoma) property was featured in Best Western’s national TV and digital marketing campaigns throughout 2018.
The hotel offers both king and double queen rooms, plus four double queen suites with full kitchenettes. The property is pet-friendly and eco-friendly, offering an electric car charging station.
Wichita-based Conco Construction was the general contractor. Architectural design was provided by Lance Adams, of Lawrence-based Adams Architecture, and Wichita’s Spangenberg Phillips Tice Architecture. Landplan Engineering of Lawrence handled site and engineering design.
