Tyler Today Summer 2010 : Page 125
We had the pleasure upon our arrival of meeting personal- ly with the Owner and General Manager, Susan Pack Reents. Wow, what a wonderful lady! She is highly intelligent, very approachable and friendly. Susan purchased the hotel on June 16, 2008. She and her new management team bring excitement and an eagerness to succeed to the hotel. You can tell Hotel Fredonia is her passion and she “gets it”. She and her employees are pros at providing personal attention on all levels. They are fantastic at providing whatever their guests need at anytime of day. The response “No” or “We can’t do that” are just not in their vocabulary. Nothing seems to be an inconvenience. Susan and her staff are focused on making their guests’ stay as wonderful as possible. The hotel is gorgeously appointed and the grounds are beautifully landscaped. As you walk into the hotel, the ambiance is warm and inviting. The lobby area (aka: the Nacogdoches living room) has a casual elegance about it, a great place to meet friends. Visit one of the many conversation areas or gather around the beauti- ful Baby Grand piano and enjoy. Have a seat and gaze upon the koi swimming in the lobby atrium or peer out the windows onto the patio area and the beautiful salt- water swimming pool. Just sit back, relax and enjoy! You can even have your shoes shined in the “original” shoe shine chair thatwas located in Chicago’s Union Station while you relax, if you wish. The service was top notch during Chef James and his culinary staff continue to delight their guests with outstanding cuisine. They also make it a point to be conscientious and accommodating of all dietary needs requested. In addition, they offer customized menus for the most elegant events to the most casual gatherings. Offering a wide variety of freshly prepared hors d’oeuvres, elegantly plated dinners or scrumptious buffets. His culinary team is happy to cater your event. our stay and our room was beauti- ful. Susan and her management staff have thought of every comfort and convenience for their guests. The rooms are sparkling clean, have thick and lush towels, wonderful bath accessories, and the beds are amazing! From the moment you arrive at this beautiful property you feel the incredible warmth, friendliness, and personalization displayed by the entire staff Dining at the hotel is also a wonderful experience. The restaurant, Café Fredonia, is casual, yet sophisticated. The setting proves to be stylish, but not overdone, so that the place is as comfortable and accessible as it should be for all to enjoy. Guests dining in the restaurant have a view of the gorgeous landscaped scenery by the patio and the saltwater swimming pool. Steak and seafood are definitely part of the culinary draw. Cheers to Executive Chef, James Harp, whose specialties include a 16-oz Black Angus bone-in rib eye steak with four wonderful sauces to select from, pepper-encrusted 10-oz signature sirloin topped with a sauce of your choice, south- west salmon with honey/chipotle glaze, and the highly acclaimed signature dessert, homemade Hotel Fredonia bread pudding that is absolutely scrumptious. Be sure and save room for this dessert! While eating lunch during our recent visit, we could not help but notice two lovely, well-dressed ladies enjoying the lunch buffet. It turns out that these ladies are the true defi- nition of “regulars”. Sisters, Dr. June Irwin and Louise Jacks have been patrons of the hotel since it opened in 1955. Dr. Irwin is a retired Health and Physical Education teacher at Stephen F. Austin State University and Louise is one of the original investors in the hotel. They are inclined to eat lunch at the hotel at least six times a week, sometimes seven. They absolutely love the buffet and say it is the “best buy in town.” Special note: Be sure and attend one of Chef James’ themed wine-pairing din- ners that occur on the last Tuesday of every month. They are very popular so be sure and make your reservations early. When it comes to entertainment, the Hotel Fredonia is the place to be. Live music is available every Friday and Saturday night, rain or shine. Weather permitting, the music and good times take place on the beautiful poolside patio. If the weather decides not to cooperate then the hotel lobby (the living room of Nacogdoches) is the place to be. Brent Richardson, Guest Services Manager, is responsible for booking all entertainment at the hotel. The hotel takes pride in the local and traveling entertainment they bring to the area. Brent is a pro at social media advertising. You can always learn about the upcoming acts via the hotel’s web- site (www.hotelfredonia.com), Myspace, Twitter or sign up for their weekly electronic newsletter. While sitting down with Brent, it was very interesting to learn that within a 200-mile radius, Nacogdoches has the only comedy venue around. Comedian, Jay Leno performed the very first opener for the Hotel Fredonia comedy act many years ago. Brent is very happy the hotel has started including the comedy nights again. It is his dream to book Jay Leno for a repeat performance. In addition to the Friday and Saturday night live music, they continue to host special events with acts like Bob SUMMER 2010 125
Publication List
