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“It needed to be revitalized,” Gormley said of the 1960s-era property. “It was begging to be improved.”
Gormley, along with co-owner Clay Fowler, recently purchased the property and overhauled its rooms as well as its public spaces. The hotel celebrated the property improvements with a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday evening attended by First Selectman Michael Tetreau and Fairfield Chamber of Commerce President Beverly A. Balaz.
“We’re so happy to have this restoration in Fairfield,” Balaz said in front of a crowd of several dozen people who turned out for a poolside reception.
“It looks just beautiful,” she said of the changes.
All of the rooms were decorated in-house by the hotel's owners, Sales Director Fritz Chery said.
Gormley said the hotel’s new styling would be best described as a clean, casual bright white look. He wants people to feel like they’re at the beach, he said.
Inside the rooms, the owners replaced the beds and furniture. They also added HD flat screen television sets and a new key fob door system.
Chery said the renovated hotel fills a void in the market. There’s not much competition for lodging in Fairfield, he said.
“There’s never been a real hotel for Fairfield,” he said. “We want to be Fairfield’s hotel.”
In his remarks to the crowd, Tetreau said he was glad to see the revitalization of the hotel. Although Fairfield has many great restaurants, the town offers few lodging options, he said.
“You’re not going to stay overnight unless you have a place to stay,” he said.
The only two hotels in Fairfield are the high-end Delamar Hotel in Southport and the mid-range Best Western Black Rock Inn on King’s Highway Cutoff near the Bridgeport border.
New amenities at the Fairfield Circle Inn include a renovated pool, upgraded free breakfast, high-speed free wifi and room service through The Circle Diner, which is located next door.
Rooms at the 80-room hotel average $150 a night, Chery said.
Gormley said he also plans to revitalize the landmark Hi-Ho Motor Inn on the Black Rock Turnpike just off of the Merritt Parkway. He said he intends to make that property into a hotel with a trendy boutique feel.
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