Aug. 21–The new operators of the Dayton Grand Hotel in downtown Dayton are planning a significant makeover of the facility, including restoring a full-service restaurant, and they plan to change the hotel’s name to the Doubletree by Hilton.
“We’re looking to become the jewel of downtown Dayton,” said Mark Hayward, the hotel’s general manager.
Hayward said the “entire property” will be renovated. “The only thing that will remain the same will be the tile floor in the lobby,” he said. All 184 rooms will be renovated, along with the restaurant, pool and fitness center.
Hayward said he did not have a projected cost for the renovation project. “I would describe it as significant,” he said. The project’s timeline is not finalized, but Hayward said he expects the renovations to be complete “perhaps by the end of the year or in January 2014.”
The hotel currently employs 30, but Hayward expects that number to rise to 50 after the project is complete.
The hotel at 11 S. Ludlow St. will become a Doubletree by Hilton franchise operated by Indianapolis-based Sun Development & Management Corp., which owns 35 hotel properties across the country, Hayward said. The company operates franchise hotels for Marriott, Hilton and Holiday Inn, among others.
Sun Development took over the management of the hotel in April, and a change in ownership is pending, Hayward said. The renovation project will move forward as soon as that ownership change is complete, he said.
Montgomery County property records show the property as being owned by Alliance Hospitality Group LLC and Prudential Asset Resources based in Dallas, Texas. The hotel property was foreclosed upon in January 2012, according to Montgomery County court records.
A portion of the hotel’s rooms, which include 28 suites, will likely remain open during the renovation project, Hayward said. Currently, the hotel’s pool, bar and restaurant are closed temporarily, although a continental breakfast is served daily.
The hotel’s operators are contemplating an Italian theme for its restaurant and bar, Hayward said. Plans call for reopening for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also to offer full-service catering and banquet facilities.
The downtown hotel is adjacent to the Schwind building that was imploded last weekend to make way for privately owned student housing. The hotel was not damaged by the implosion.
The name change will mark a return to the Doubletree brand: the facility was a Doubletree hotel from 2007 to about 2009, Hayward said.
Staff Writer Jeremy Kelley contributed to this report.
