Raleigh, N.C. (Sept. 21, 2023) – The Raleigh City Council voted today to direct the City of Raleigh staff to enter into negotiations with Omni Hotels & Resorts, in partnership with Preston Hollow Community Capital and Provident Resources Group, to develop the highly anticipated convention hotel in the core of downtown Raleigh. The dynamic addition to the Raleigh skyline will be built on an over one-acre lot across from the Raleigh Convention Center and Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts at the end of Fayetteville Street. Expected to open in 2027, the Omni Raleigh Hotel will be a great addition to Omni’s growing portfolio of over 50 luxury hotels.
This will be the third Omni property in the state of North Carolina and the first for the capital city. The Omni Raleigh Hotel is anticipated to include 550 guest rooms and 55,000 square feet of meeting space, which will allow for larger events to take place downtown and support the growth of the Raleigh Convention Center expansion. The hotel will also feature several food and beverage outlets, a rooftop pool, a signature Mokara spa and a fitness center.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for the City of Raleigh and Wake County. We’ve been envisioning a new convention center hotel downtown for years. We are now one step closer to making it happen,” said Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. “This opens up endless possibilities for more conferences, more conventions and more events at the Raleigh Convention Center. And the economic benefits cannot be overstated.”
“The market has outgrown the available hotel room blocks within walking distance of the Raleigh Convention Center, limiting availability for incoming meetings, conventions and sports groups,” said Kerry Painter, General Manager and Director of The Complex, which manages the Raleigh Convention Center, Red Hat Amphitheater, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, and Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek.
Wake County’s Destination Strategic Plan 2028 included a recommendation for a full-service convention hotel with a minimum of 500 rooms to help increase tourism and promote economic development for the area. Plans are also underway for a Raleigh Convention Center expansion. The increase in downtown room inventory will assist in recruiting larger and more frequent conventions to the area.
“We are thrilled to be joining the downtown community in Raleigh and are inspired by its continued economic growth. Omni Hotels & Resorts is committed to providing elevated hospitality experiences which align with this dynamic destination,” said Kurt Alexander, President of Omni Hotels & Resorts. “It is an honor to be entrusted by the City of Raleigh to develop and manage this property while forging unique and authentic connections with the local community.”
“This hotel is a key piece to Raleigh’s economic development plan for the area and it’s exactly the type of community priority that we like to finance because of the opportunities it creates for the citizens of Wake County. We’re proud to invest our capital and know-how into this visionary project,” said Ramiro Albarran, Co-Head of Originations for Preston Hollow Community Capital.
“Provident is honored to have the opportunity to work with the City of Raleigh and our partners at Omni and Preston Hollow to make this long-awaited project a reality for this thriving community, and to be part of the continued evolution of the downtown corridor in the state’s capital city,” said Chris Hicks, President of Provident.
“We look forward to working with Omni and the City of Raleigh to tell the story of Raleigh through design features and themes of this new property to showcase all our area has to offer,” said Dennis Edwards, President and CEO of Visit Raleigh. “With Omni’s expertise in the meetings and the convention market, this new convention center hotel will undoubtedly boost visitation across all travel segments and be a welcomed asset to the convention center campus.”
