Wilsonville, Ore.,-based BHG Hotels has bought the Holiday Inn Spokane Airport and plans a $1.5 million renovation of the four-story, 122-guest room hotel at 1616 S. Windsor Drive, says the company's regional manager Jatin Patel.

Operated under Bhgah Spokane LLC, the Holiday Inn Spokane Airport is a franchisee of the InterContinental Hotels Group, which owns the Holiday Inn & Resorts brand.

Spokop LLC had owned the 80,000-square-foot hotel since it was built in 2003. Patel declined to disclose terms of the hotel purchase, which was completed May 1.

The renovation will involve replacing furniture, carpet, and wallpaper throughout the hotel, Patel says. Peppers, a bar and grill located in the hotel, also will get new tables, chairs, and carpet. Patel says work is to take three months to complete and is expected to begin either in September or the following spring.

Mike Barnes, new general manager for the hotel, was hired after the change in ownership, Patel says. The hotel currently has 30 full-time and 15 part-time employees, he says, adding the existing staff has been retained.

He says it hopes through the renovation, more people will choose to stay at the hotel.

"If we can increase occupancy, then we'll need more team members to join our team," he says.

Patel says the hotel, which will remain the Holiday Inn Spokane Airport, books about 25,000 rooms annually.

"Our goal is to make that our base for the Eastern Washington area," he says. "We'd like to look at other opportunities in the Spokane market," as well as in Coeur d'Alene, Pullman, and Lewiston.

Family-owned and operated BHG Hotels was founded in 1990 by current company President Buggsi Patel and now operates 20 hotels throughout the Northwest, including in Walla Walla, Vancouver, Wash.; Meridian, Idaho; and Portland, Ore. Patel says the company is also a franchisee of Spokane-based Red Lion Hotels Corp.

Franchisor IHG has 4,400 properties in more than 100 countries through franchisees. IHG also includes brands such as Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express Hotels, and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.