Firebrand Hotel set for July 1 opening date
<p>The new Firebrand Hotel in downtown Whitefish contains 86 rooms on three floors. (Seaborn Larson/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>From left, Jessica Helander, Lisa Jones, Becky Lomax and Edna White on the rooftop of the Firebrand Hotel in Whitefish in June 2016. (Seaborn Larson/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Inside the Firebrand Hotel, crews are on the final stretch laying hardwood floors and applying dark finish on the timber beams to match the woodwork throughout the hotel. (Seaborn Larson/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Developers of a new downtown Whitefish hotel are closing in on a July opening date.
The Firebrand Hotel, owned by Averill Hospitality (which also operates the Lodge at Whitefish Lake) is expected to open by July 1.
On Thursday, contract workers were laying dark wood panels in the lobby floor as others were carrying doors and air ducts down the hall. In two months, work crews will be replaced with travelers from around the globe.
The exterior features dark granite and stonework around the entire building at the corner of Second Street and Spokane Avenue. The entrance to the 72-car parking lot will be located on Third Street, which will not include valet parking like the Lodge at Whitefish Lake.
The interior has been designed with the hotel’s namesake pass in Glacier National Park in mind using dark wood accents, along with touches of metals and glass to bring out a modern atmosphere.
“We’re definitely going for more of a contemporary feel but with some rustic aspects,” said Edna White, Averill Hospitality sales and marketing director.
On Thursday, White and Firebrand Sales Director Jessica Helander gave a tour to Lisa Jones of the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau and local author Becky Lomax.
Jones said the hotel’s design and location fit into the bureau’s “master plan” for the future of downtown Whitefish.
“It’s part of the vision of having a walkable downtown,” Jones said. “To see the master plan come to fruition, it’s really cool. It just fits.”
White led the tour through one of the 81 deluxe hotel rooms, as well as one of the five suites.
Both rooms come with smartphone-enabled locks that guests will unlock using a virtual key provided on their phone. Each wall and floor was constructed with sound-dampening material. The bar in the lobby will have 12 beers on tap, and a wine-tap system for tasting fine wines. Spa services will be in the hotel basement.
The initial hotel blueprints included space for a pool and a hot tub. After builders found the water amenities couldn’t be built in the basement space, developers opted to scrap the pool and put the hot tub on the rooftop patio, but the city of Whitefish’s Board of Adjustment denied that proposal.
The board cited safety issues and the conditional use permit for the patio, which prohibits hot tubs.
White said while the first effort failed, developers will continue seeking a conditional use permit to allow a hot tub on the roof.
“It’s something we hope we’ll be able to include in the property,” White said. “The permitting is not there currently.”
Helander said the hotel has already taken about 500 reservations, which are available as early as July 15. In the coming weeks, crews will continue hanging doors, connecting electricity throughout the building and applying finish to the final woodwork.
“We’re just getting ready for everyone who will be here mid-July,” Helander said.
Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.