The Columbus hospitality market is heating up rapidly, with a slew of new hotel developments being planned for construction over the next two years. So it comes as little surprise that existing hotels are also stepping up their game. The Downtown Residence Inn on Gay Street is one such example, which is quietly undergoing a $1.5 million renovation.
“Marriott requires a renovation every seven or eight years, so this is partially being driven by them,” said Residence Inn General Manager Robert Kennedy, referring to the parent company of the hotel. “It’s a ‘soft goods renovation’, which includes all new couches, chairs, carpets, artwork and other items in our guest rooms, hallways, lobby and other public spaces.”
The renovation work began right after Thanksgiving, and will run through the end of February. The hotel will remain open during the entire process, phasing through all 126 rooms, two floors at a time. A separate chimney removal project is underway on the back side of the building, but otherwise, no exterior work is being completed for this project.
“We’re able to do most of these things behind the scenes, with no impact to guests,” explained Kennedy. “Aside from seeing old furniture going out and new furniture coming in, there should be no other impact.”
Kennedy added that all of the old furniture is being donated to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, to help benefit the local community and keep unnecessary items out of the landfill.
The Residence Inn is also home to a prominently located 8,000 square foot ground-floor commercial space, and hotel owners have solicited restaurant and retail developers to consider it for a new project.
“We are still looking for a tenant,” confirmed Kennedy. “There’s a possibly that we’re hopefully moving forward with a smaller project there, but there’s no timeframe on that at this point.”
For more information about the hotel, visit www.marriott.com.