More than 150 customers, business leaders and others who work in the local hospitality industry attended The Academy Hotel Awards grand re-opening on Thursday, April 14 at 5:30 p.m. Formerly the Radisson North at I-25 and North Academy Blvd, the 156,000-square-foot hotel built in 1972 has dropped its long-term affiliation with the Radisson Corporation. Today, Frank and Marvel Thomson, who have operated the hotel for the last 20 years, officially changed the full-service hotel to The Academy Hotel. Little changes, except the name, according to Frank Thomson. “We’ll still be the same great place to stay, with all the amenities, conveniences, stellar service and quality that our valuable guests have come to count on,” said Thomson. In celebration of its grand re-opening, the hotel will offer a special rate through May 15: $79 per night, double-occupancy, to include the daily hot breakfast buffet.

Thomson plans to divert franchise fees into hotel improvements over the next several years, including upgrades to its guest rooms and commons areas. He says return business through national accounts, local alliances and established groups have built over the years and helped the hotel to thrive. “But the nature of the business has changed,” says Thomson, “like the global distribution system through airlines and agents, coupled with the ease of booking through Internet sources.” Thomson has worked in the hospitality industry for more than a half-century starting his career in Denver in the 1950s.
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