Business is good in North Carson Holiday Inn

Everything is shiny and new at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in North Carson City. At the corner of North Carson Street and Broadleaf Lane, the multimillion-dollar hotel opened its doors for the first time Monday, and business is good.

"We're 80 percent full next weekend," said owner Malkait Dhami.

The hotel has 85 rooms, an inside pool and spa, a fitness center and a meeting room. A fireplace graces the lobby, and huge windows offer expansive views of the Sierra.

The rooms, which start at $89, feature granite countertops. Many have Jacuzzi tubs. Every room has a microwave and refrigerator, high-speed Internet and two phones.

"We're aiming at the corporate market, primarily state and government workers," said Jessie Singh, a partner in the project. "But we also expect some leisure business."

The property and project, which are owned by Dhami, Singh, Balder Dugghe, Kiranjid Thiara and their families, took 11 months to complete.

The hotel is on an 18.3-acre parcel, and construction will start on their second project, a 132-unit apartment complex, in a month or two.

Originally from Punjab in Northern India, Dhami was a civil engineer in that country for 33 years. He tried several occupations and locations after leaving India, first owning a gas station and convenience store in Alabama and then building houses with his brother in Vancouver, Canada. In 1996, he purchased his first Carson City motel, the Carson City Inn.

Singh, an electrical engineer trained in India, followed his father. The two expanded their property interests here, purchasing Carson City's Best Western Trailside and a Comfort Inn in Redding, Calif.

In December of 2001, they purchased the Holiday Inn Express in Winnemucca.

Contact Susie Vasquez at svasquez@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.