SALEM, MA— It’s taken more than a little witchcraft to make the first new hotel in 50 years appear in this legendary town, but after working some magic of their own, the developers of the Best Western Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites are bringing the 101-unit property center stage in August. Faced with increasing numbers of business travelers traversing the nearby Route 128 “technology highway” and the variety of leisure travelers who flock to the tradition-steeped city— especially at Halloween— demand was outpacing supply, according to J. Hilary Rockett Jr., senior vp/project manager of Rockett Realty, a family-run real estate management firm that developed the new property, which is its first “large” hotel project. It previously bought a 17-room inn in Marblehead, MA, and redeveloped it into a 10-suite facility. Owned by Derby & Congress Street Realty Trust, the $10 million Best Western at 225 Derby St. is adjacent to 25-year-old Pickering Wharf, a mixed-use development consisting of retail shops, restaurants, office space, full-service marina and residential condominiums that Rockett Realty acquired in 1997 for $1.6 million, and subsequently spent close to $2 million renovating. The hotel serves, Rockett noted, as a logical component for the venue, which attracts tourists and locals alike. In fact, it was plans put into play in 1997 by the nearby Peabody-Essex Museum to renovate its facilities to the tune of $150 million that drove Rockett to consider building a hotel on 30,000 square feet of land it had cleared to handle what local press estimated would be an additional 200,000 visitors annually when the museum renovation was completed. “It would keep people in Salem who were formerly unable to stay. Right now, there’s approximately a million people who come to Salem every year,” said Rockett. “It’s always been a shame that’s there’s been nothing other than the historic Hawthorn and the Salem Inn, which are great properties, but there’s never been a limited service or a franchise chain that people felt comfortable with,” agreed the property’s general manager, Michelle Haselhuhn. “When people travel across the United States they like to know what they’re going to stay in. So that’s the void this property fills for those people.” “We’re going to keep a lot of those people in Salem, and keep them even closer to the Pickering Wharf, so it will help all the shops and restaurants at the wharf as well,” added Rockett. Haselhuhn said the basic market is leisure with a strong emphasis on the group-tour market, noting area occupancy has run annually between 76% and 88% during the past couple of years. October is the peak season for the city and the GM anticipates an ADR of $140 or higher, with non-peak ranging from $101 to $110. Rockett expected to get a premium on some suites that are 500 square feet. “I have a lot of business on the books. I’m turning people away now. There are certain dates, obviously Halloween being the first; we’re turning them away,” noted Haselhuhn. The city is also home to the Salem National Maritime Historic Site and the Salem Witch Museum. The hotel currently is on track with construction for an Aug. 15 opening, said the GM. Keeping the development in the family, Michael Rockett, who heads Rockett Realty subdivision Village Construction, is the general contractor and is building the hotel. Richard “Rick” Rockett of affiliate Rockett Management Co., which handles other residential and retail properties, will manage the hotel with his brothers via Pickering Wharf Hotel Management Co., Inc. Overlooking Salem Harbor and Marina, the Best Western’s been designed to fit with the local architectural style, which leans heavily toward brickwork and clapboard that reflects Salem’s 300-year maritime history. Rockett’s architect, Bob Zarelli, worked with the Salem Planning Board led by Denise McClure for several months to ensure adherence to any necessary guidelines, as the property is at the edge of the h