Exclusive: Gold Miners Inn in Grass Valley getting upgrade

The Gold Miners Inn in Grass Valley will be getting an upgrade, including redecorated guest rooms and suites, and expanded amenities, our magazine has learned.

The nearly $1 upgrade includes changing the name to Gold Miners Inn, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member from the Holiday Inn Express — Gold Miners Inn. A new sign on the building will point the hotel as “Gold Miners Inn,” a more local identity.

“Ascend will allow us to offer more amenities in the rooms, as well as the breakfast buffet and cocktails evening reception,” Nick Hayhurst Sr., founder and president of Hallmark Corp., which owns and operates the hotel, told us. “We will completely remodel the hotel as well as upgrade all of the bathrooms and furniture.”

The upgrade will include 55-inch “smart” TVs that have built-in internet connectivity to access streaming media services, he added. The changes are underway and will continue through yearend.

“We’re really excited about this change,” said Hotel Manager Sean Gilleran. “It will allow us to broaden our offerings while staying locally focused in all we do.”

Two floors of guest rooms and suites will be redecorated to reflect the area’s rich history: one will receive Chinese accents and the other will be gold miner oriented. The breakfast buffet will change to include a new breakfast bowl and smoothie bar and the evening manager reception will receive an upgraded liquor selection.

Ascend Hotel Collection is a network of historic, boutique and unique hotels that offer guests an authentic, local experience. “To become a member, Ascend hotels must embody one of three distinct categories — historic, boutique, or unique — and show a commitment to service excellence,” according to its website.

“This ensures that all Ascend Collection members are one-of-a-kind hotels defined by a strong local identity, with upscale amenities and attentive service.”

Hallmark developer Hayhurst also plans an Ascend brand hotel in Placerville, as previously reported. The proposed hotel would feature an upscale, 60-room boutique hotel with conference center and meeting rooms, a business center, and a catering kitchen for meetings and conferences.

The Placerville hotel also will have concierge service, and a marketing coordinator to bring corporate clients and conferences to the property, with shuttles available for local transport to the casino, Apple Hill and El Dorado County wineries.

The hotels address a chronic problem in the Sierra Foothills — a lodging shortage. Hayhurst’s group also has proposed building an 80-room boutique hotel, conference center and parking garage for about 120 cars in Old Town Auburn.