Branson, Mo.- Myer Hotels, Branson’s Award-Winning Hotels Company, is pleased to announce that the Best Western Center Pointe Inn has completely reopened after  the Feb. 29^th tornado damage. 

The Best Western Center Pointe Inn located on Highway 76 next to the Titanic Museum received moderate damage to one building and light damage to two other buildings.   The hotel was one of the first hotels to reopen that received damage during the storm with half of the hotel opening the first part of June.   The second phase of the hotel which included a comprehensive remodel of the interior corridor rooms commonly called Building C recently reopened. 

“We are excited about the enhancements of the hotel,” said Chris Myer, vice president of marketing for Myer Hotels.  “We believe our new rooms are some of the most outstanding rooms in Branson. Plus we were able to upgrade most of public amenity areas of the hotel as well.  It’s like a new hotel. The guests are going to love it.” 

 “Local contractor, G. Oney and Associates, has done an excellent job helping us open as soon as possible.  We are also thankful for the Fireman Fund Insurance Company for their responsive and cooperative approach.,” said Gail Myer, vice president of Operations. “We were able to keep our staff employed and they helped in the clean up and rebuilding process.  We appreciate their hard work.” 

The Best Western Center Pointe Inn has long been a favorite of Branson visitors due to its outstanding location right in the heart of Branson’s entertainment and excellent service.   The hotel features a 164 rooms, indoor pool, outdoor pool, two hot tubs, and many other amenities.  It is a Director’s Award-Winner from Best Western.  You can visit Myer Hotels at www.myerhotels.com. 

Spring is a beautiful time in the Ozarks – the dogwood trees and tulips are blooming and the color of spring draws us outside.  Branson has a reputation for its award winning shows – but did you know there are countless places to explore and things to see “outside” the theatres?  The Branson area boasts more than 200 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback-riding trails.  The next several blogs will feature some of the magnificent Ozark trails. Dogwood Canyon Nature Park offers a variety of unsurpassed outdoor activities for the entire family.  Located less than 30 miles south of Branson, activities include walking and biking trails, wildlife tram tour, self-guided trout fishing, horseback riding, and more.  The Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area is a 130-acre park accessible from Highway 76 “Strip” on Fall Creek Road.  The park offers rugged hiking trails as well as a less physically challenging hike on a flatter course.  For you aerobic enthusiasts, the original trail has 315 stone steps that were placed by hand decades ago.  Regardless of which trail you choose – your hike will be graced with scenic views and fresh Ozark mountain air!  The Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area is located just two blocks south of the Dixie Stampede.  So enjoy your hike – and then feast on great food and a spectacular show that night!

Enjoy live music all day under the main tent and on the street from a variety of local entertainers. The famous Grape Stomp Competition begins at 2:00pm and is a highlight of the day! Local funny-man Jim Barber will emcee the event, and Mayor of Hollister, David Tate and the City Aldermen will be the esteemed judges. Teams of four compete for the much-revered Ugly Monkey Trophy (and bragging rights)!

With a variety of food vendors—offering everything from corn dogs, funnel cakes, Italian Ice, gourmet brats, catfish & hushpuppies, taco bar, kettle korn, etc—no one will walk away hungry! Don’t forget the Downing Street businesses. Riverstone Café, the Black Horse Pub, Little Hacienda and Vintage Paris will all be open and serving food as well. And if you come to shop—they will have nearly 20 vendors providing everything from homemade arts and crafts to handbags and personalized art. And don’t forget to explore the sidewalk sale at Downing Street Furniture, find treasures in the Green Lantern Antique Shop or take a stroll in the new Ye Olde Antique & Flea Market.

Bring the whole family! Kids can enjoy large inflatables (like a bounce house, etc), face painting, “wiggle cars”, clowns, duck pond,  fingerprinting by the Hollister PD, World’s Largest Connect-4 Game and more! 

Entertainment is extended well into the night and we hope everyone will stick around and enjoy a great night on Downing Street! SIX performs at 6pm…followed by The Bad Habit Band at 7pm. The Bad Habit Band has opened concerts for country acts: Mark Chesnut, Gary Allen, Dierks Bentley, Kentucky Headhunters, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and Rock acts: Bad Company and Jackyl.

• Transportation.  Do we fly or drive?  How long will it take? 
• Activities in the destination. 
• How many days you'll have when you get there. 
• Lodging 
• Overall cost of the destination. 
• Where does the family want to go?  
• What kind of experiences are we looking for?  

•  Shows. Shows. Shows.  Branson has more live entertainment then anywhere in the US.  Most people think that Branson is just country music.  Although Branson has a rich country music scene, most people don't understand that Branson has a wide variety of entertainment options to choose from.  Branson's entertainment is know for its family friendliness meaning the whole family can experience it.  Branson shows will typically run in the $20-40 range.  Have you seen what a show in Vegas cost?  Ouch.  

•  Theme Parks.  Branson is the home of Silver Dollar City and White Water.  Silver Dollar City is celebrating 50 years in the theme park business.  Their CEO was just on UnderCover Boss.  It was great a great show.  I've been to Disney, Universal, Sea World, etc.  and I can tell you that Silver Dollar City has a unique quality about it.  It started as a cave tour.  The cave is still there and can be toured daily.  However, buildings started to be built above the cave and the rest is history.  The theme park offers a wide variety of rides, shows, shops and craftsmen all set in the rich history of the 1880s.  I've never had better food at a theme park.  Silver Dollar City offers numerous festivals throughout the year.  White Water is the water park in Branson that offers tons of great ways to cool off in the summer.  

•  Outdoor Activites.  So you are a nature lover and want to spend time in the outdoors? Branson is located in the beautiful Ozark Mountains.  Over the last several years Branson has developed numerous hiking trails to experience.  We just hiked the other day at the Paul and Ruth Henning Conservation area.  It was an excellent hike for the family.  We've got lakes.  It's funny cause a lot of people who come to Branson don't realize what is just over the hill.  Tablerock Lake has over 800 miles of shoreline and offers tons of lake fun.  You can jetski, ski, boat, sail, parasail, fish, swim, snorkel, scuba, cliff jump all on Table Rock Lake.  We even have a beach very close to Branson called "Moonshine Beach". It has sand and everything.   I almost forgot to mention golf.  Branson has lots of great golf courses.  If you like to golf, then the Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills is a great hotel to pick.  They overlook the 14th hole of the Thousand Hills Golf Course.  I can see that I'll need to expand on Branson's outdoor activities more in the future but just realize we have a lot of outdoor stuff to do. 

• Shopping.  If you like to shop, you'll find lots of shopping opportunities in Branson.  We offer everything from outlet malls to quaint shopping villages.  If you haven't been to Branson in awhile we have a new development in downtown Branson called Branson Landing.  It is a lifestyle center with dining and shops along the banks of Taneycomo Lake.  There is even a huge fountain display and boardwalk along the lake.  

• Attractions.  Branson has tons of attractions to add to your vacation pleasure.  Attractions in Branson include IMAX, Ripley's Believe It or Not, The Titanic Museum, The Hollywood Wax Museum, The Veterans Museum, The Dinasour Museum, The Haunted House, and The World's Largest Toy Museum.  Like go-karts or mini golf?  We have lots of family amusement centers in town as well.  Purchase your Track Go Card at the hotel and you can save some money! 

      I am excited to report we've done it again.  Myer Hotels of Branson is pleased to announce that three hotels, the Comfort Inn & Suites Branson Meadows, Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills and Comfort Inn West have been recognized by Choice Hotels International from over 4,800 U.S. franchised hotels for hospitality excellence.   

      The Comfort Inn & Suites Branson Meadows and the Comfort Inn At Thousand Hills Comfort s have been awarded the Choice Hotels International 2010 Platinum Hospitality Award.  This award is given to the top 3% within the Comfort Inn Brand, and is awarded each year to those hotels that receive the highest ratings in guest satisfaction surveys, and score highest in the quality assurance review process.  The Comfort Inn & Suites has been ranked #1 in the entire country for Comfort Inns for most of all last year.  The Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills is ranked #10 in the entire country.  This is based on over 1400 Comfort Inns across the country.  

     The Comfort Inn West has received the Choice Hotels International 2010 Gold Hospitality Award.  This honor is given to the top 10% of all Comfort Inns within the United States.  The Comfort Inn West was in the top 4% overall of all Comfort Inns.  The hotel just missed getting the Platinum award.  

       We are very excited about all of our Choice hotels doing so well.  

       “Myer Hotels’ commitment to excellence and outstanding guest service has earned it this well-deserved recognition as three of the best hotels among the Comfort Inn brand,” said Steve Joyce, president and chief executive officer for Choice Hotels. “We are very proud to award these distinguished honors to the Comfort Inn & Suites, Comfort Inn At Thousand Hills and Comfort Inn West.

           “We are committed to meeting and exceeding the lodging expectations of all guests who choose to stay at a Myer Hotel, “stated Gail Myer, Vice President of Operations.    Chris Myer, Vice President of Marketing noted, “These awards testify to the fact that our hotel teams believe in our mission of ‘Friendly, Fantastic Service Always’ on a daily basis. We appreciate the teams’ effort at becoming a part of an elite group of hotels in the country and providing guests with great vacation experiences. Myer also added that the Comfort hotels have earned many awards in the past including  the 2009 “Comfort Inn of the Year” at the Comfort Inn  & Suites. ”