New billing system will be installed this week
By: David M. Campbell
WEST WINDSOR – After considerable delay, AmeriSuites hotel on Route 1 plans to update its billing system within the week in order to implement a voluntary room fee for open-space preservation, according to Michael Schuit, president of Friends of West Windsor Open Space.
The hotel agreed to participate in the program almost six months ago, but had made no move toward implementation until this week.
Mr. Schuit said Monday that he met with Andrew Jamenez, the hotel’s general manager, over the weekend and was told the new billing system, necessary before the open-space fee can be implemented, will be installed by company technicians within the next two or three days.
"I met with Mr. Jamenez and he assured me that the system to implement the billing for the voluntary fee will be happening within the very near future," Mr. Schuit said. "I’m very excited about the program. It’s the first of its kind in New Jersey, and we’re gratified that AmeriSuites and its patrons will be helping to preserve open space in West Windsor."
Mr. Jamenez has not returned several phone calls from The Packet in the last week.
The proposed room charge would take the form of a voluntary donation of $3 to be automatically added to guests’ bills. A brochure would be available in each room of the hotel, explaining the fee and detailing local open-space preservation efforts.
Guests will have the option of removing the fee from their bill when they check out.
In July, shortly after AmeriSuites approved the program, FOWWOS members delivered 10,000 such brochures to the hotel, expecting the program to be implemented shortly thereafter.
But FOWWOS members didn’t hear another word from Mr. Jamenez until this weekend, and had begun to wonder if the hotel had changed its mind, according to Township Councilman Charles Morgan, who first approached AmeriSuites with the plan after reading about similar, successful programs in Wyoming.
But Mr. Morgan said Monday that "based on what I’m hearing, I do know that Mr. Jamenez is very committed to this."
He added, "I’m very pleased he appears to be moving forward to implement this thing this week."
If successful, the AmeriSuites voluntary open-space fee could raise as much as $127,700 annually toward preservation efforts, according to Mr. Morgan. That estimate is based on a year-round 95 percent occupancy rate and 99 percent participation rate by guests.