Mayor Daniel Bianchi, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, the Mahida family, and Eugene Dellea from Berkshire Health Systems helped cut the ribbon on the new hotel Monday evening.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Vijay Mahida has fulfilled his dream in building a $10 million Hilton Garden Inn in Pittsfield.

Now, he looks to support his family's dreams of owning their own hotels.

Mahida cut the ribbon on the Hilton Garden, located behind Guido's Fresh Marketplace on the Pittsfield/Lenox border on Monday to great fanfare. The 95-room, four-story, hotel is the only Hilton in the Berkshires.

 

"It was a long 2 1/2 years it took us to be opening our doors today," Mahida told a crowd of about 50 outside of the hotel. 

 

Mahida owns the Comfort Inn and Suites and the Monument Mountain Motel. Some years ago, he approached Hilton Worldwide about building in Pittsfield. The are some 640 Hilton Garden Inns in the world but Mahida's is the only one in the Berkshires.

 

"This is a perfect example of what the product is," said Karen Whitman, a senior director with Hilton Worldwide. "We're delighted to be here with you."

 

Whitman said Emerald Hospitality will manage the hotel and brings a new type of hospitality product to the county. Mayor Daniel Bianchi joined with Whitman in singing the praises of the hotel.

 

"It has just come out beautifully," Bianchi said.

 

For Mahida, the opening is a dream come true. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal said Mahida's story is that of the American dream. He said just six to 10 years ago banks weren't loaning, the economy wasn't taking off, and unemployment went up to 8 percent. The Mahidas, however, persevered and were ultimately able to find a roadmap to success in building the new hotel.

 

"Vijay and [his wife] Chrystal Mahida had the courage to embrace the optimism that is America," Neal said. 

 

After completing his dream, Vijay Mahida will focus the next few years into helping the people who helped him get to this point — his family. His brother Pravinsinh Mahida is looking to open a new hotel in Lenox and, on Monday, Chrystal Mahida reiterated plans for a $25 million, 95-room boutique hotel in Great Barrington.

 

The Berkshire, as the new hotel will be known, will be built on the site of the long vacant Searles Middle School, should the town issue the necessary permitting.

 

Also with the ribbon cutting, the Mahidas donated $7,500 to Berkshire Health System's cancer center.

 

"Both Vijay and Chrystal are great community supports," said BMC Hillcrest Campus President Eugene Dellea, who accepted the donation. "Your donation is going to go a long way for us."