About 20 people had reserved for Friday night by 5 p.m. Hotel General Manager Chad Eaton said business is picking up fast. 'I think it's mostly our families,' Lisa Levantino said. Patrick Levantino last week projected today as the opening day, but the hotel actually accepted its first guests Thursday night. Hilton's Internet reservations start March 1.
The hotel has beaten two projected opening dates. It now can boast of being the closest hotel to Foxwoods Resort Casino that's not actually part of the Mashantucket Pequot enterprise.
Hilton's quality control inspectors came through soon afterward, and the hotel passed with flying colors. The roughly $13 million hotel received its final permits from the town last week. Preston - It's not often a multimillion-dollar project comes in ahead of schedule, but Patrick and Lisa Levantino beamed Friday as they gave a tour of their new Hilton Garden Inn at the corner of Route 2 and Watson Road. Hilton Garden Hotel owners Lisa Levantino, left, and Patrick Levantino, right, show the bar area of The Garden Grille & Bar Friday during a tour the new hotel located on Route 2 in Preston.
