Two new hotels in Ankeny aim to take advantage of bicycle tourism from the High Trestle Trail.
Driving the news: Staybridge Suites is scheduled to open adjacent to the trail this fall, while a nearby Holiday Inn Express opened last year.
- The hotels, which offer 107 rooms and 94 rooms respectively, are both near the new High Trestle Trail overpass over Oralabor Road and off SE Hulsizer Drive.
Why it matters: The 25-mile High Trestle Trail route goes from Ankeny to Woodward and features one of the longest trail bridges in the world.
- The hotels are a part of Ankeny officials' plans to leverage the trail and attract cyclists to the city.
Zoom in: For years, it was difficult for cyclists staying in Ankeny to connect with the trail from a hotel. Lodging options were on the east side of the interstate while the trail was on the west side, Derek Lord, Ankeny's economic development director, tells Axios.