BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Sometimes you just need a place to put your feet up for a while.
Hotel Bethlehem officials said Thursday there are now nine new extended-stay suites and a full-service spa and salon across the way at 462 Main St.
While the hotel at 437 Main St. is doing great, they said, another boost to the Christmas City’s tourism industry could never hurt, especially with a potential World Heritage designation up for a vote this year.
Motivations for using these extended stay spaces vary. Sometimes hotel guests are relocating to the city for a job and waiting to close on their new home, parents are in town moving their kids back to school, whatever the case may be — some folks end up needing more space than what they may find in a typical hotel room.
That’s where The Suites at 462 come in.
Nine new suites
“Often they’re corporate executives who stay five days a week but don’t want to move their belongings in and out therefore they book for months at a time,” Director of Room Sales and Guest Experience Kelly Ronalds said.
“The suites will make them more comfortable at a lower rate.”
Rates are subject to change, officials said, but for now will start at $250 per night, with a one-week minimum stay required.
Square footage of the nine suites ranges from 525 to 750, with the premier units overlooking Main Street and others placed a little farther from the road for more quiet.
“It’s a destination that goes beyond the doors of the existing hotel.”Hotel Bethlehem Managing Partner Bruce Haines
Each one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit is outfitted with a king or queen-sized bed, queen sleeper sofa in the living room, large TVs in the living room and bedrooms, a full kitchen, desk area, access to hotel amenities, free parking for one car and housekeeping services twice a week.
The amenities make a difference, and all of it “separates us from a run-of-the-mill middle-class hotel to a luxury historic hotel,” said Hotel Bethlehem Managing Partner Bruce Haines.
The new accommodations make all the more sense, he added, considering the shops and restaurants along Main Street are at one’s disposal right as you step out of the building.
“It’s a destination that goes beyond the doors of the existing hotel,” Haines said.
Steel Magnolia Spa and Salon
Carolyn Gillish, Steel Magnolia owner and operator, said the merger with Hotel Bethlehem and The Suites at 462 was like clockwork when ultimately choosing to relocate from a previous location on the South Side.
“It turned out to be such a perfect fit,” Gillish said, adding Main Street Bethlehem is one of her favorite places to be — even off the clock.
She and her team are licensed, experienced specialists who can help tame those knots in your shoulders or even sweat out your stress in their on-site, dry-heat infrared sauna.
Several packages are available, with the 50-minute combination massage starting at $120 plus tax.
“It turned out to be such a perfect fit."Carolyn Gillish, Steel Magnolia owner and operator
Gillish said couples getting married, and even bridal parties, at the hotel are in for a treat with the new Steel Magnolia location so close.
She recommended the 30-minute “Pamper Me” package for the ladies, which comes with proper attention to the hair, nails and feet, along with a massage and facial — and always some good conversation for those interested.
But you don’t have to be staying in the hotel to take advantage of the spa services at Steel Magnolia.
The spot is open to the public six days a week by appointment.
'Three-peat'
Hotel Bethlehem was the top vote in USA Today’s 10Best list for the last three years, making for a “three-peat” as America’s favorite historic hotel.
The hotel also sports its own ladies' boutique and a special conference center space.
Across the street at 462 Main, Hotel B Ice Cream Parlor and Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop also are located just below the new suites.
