Officials break ground on the 89-room Holiday Inn Express near the Fresno Yosemite International Airport Thursday morning. Photo by Ben Hensley

Fresno-based hospitality manager Axis Hotel Group, along with Bakersfield construction firm Klassen Corp., hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for the new Holiday Inn Express hotel less than a mile from the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

Hopes are for the 89-room hotel at 5089 E. McKinley Ave. to open by late 2023. The idea is to make it a convenient place for travelers to rest their heads.

“Right now, since we are an airport property, we are determining at least a shuttle for the airport,” said Axis Corporate Director of Sales Nichole Castillo.

The hotel will also offer at least one meeting space, and may add additional suites. 

“A vacant lot doesn’t really do much, but having a nice hotel with 89 rooms near the airport, that’s great for our economy,” said Fresno City Council District 4 Director Nabil Kherfan. “A lot of business comes through here, so we are really excited.”

Axis Hotel Group has several other projects planned in the coming years, and emphasized the importance of having amicable space for incoming travelers.

“We are the fifth largest city in California, so this is an exciting opportunity to have something this new coming out in the next year or so,” said Castillo. “This is an exciting part of our airport property.”

The project will be contracted to Klassen Corp., which recently completed another Axis project — the Courtyard Marriott in Clovis last year.

Axis Hotel Group is the management company for Metro Hospitality in Fresno, which is behind the hotly anticipated 144-room Courtyard by Marriott at M and Inyo streets in Downtown Fresno. A groundbreaking for that property is scheduled for Aug. 9.