Aug. 04–If you drop by the Holiday Inn-Mentor and ask General Manager Randy Virant what’s new, be prepared to stay awhile.
That’s because Virant will have a lot to say about the $5 million renovation recently completed at Holiday Inn-Mentor, located at 7701 Reynolds Road.
He’ll also probably give you the grand tour, because the hotel’s new look is something that Virant and the rest of his staff like to show off.
“It’s basically a full renovation — the lobby area, all of the rooms have been renovated, also our meeting space and our two bars and restaurant,” Virant said.
Formerly a Comfort Inn, Alliance Hospitality Inc. of Columbus reopened the four-story, 132-room hotel as a Holiday Inn in April. But Alliance did much more than simply change the building’s name.
“They thought it was time to do a facelift on the hotel,” Virant said.
Some of the enhancements include a new open lobby concept; guest rooms that feature all new decor and larger bathrooms, new carpeting, lighting, furniture and bedding; new carpeting, new wall vinyl and updated lighting for hotel corridors; and an expanded fitness center, featuring state-of-the-art cardio and weight equipment.
In addition, the hotel’s new restaurant and bar, called Krave, opened May 1.
Guests who stayed at the former Comfort Inn have been impressed upon returning and seeing how Holiday Inn has revitalized the hotel, said Catering Sales Manager Jim Campbell.
“They love it,” Campbell said. “It’s a much improved product than what they’ve been used to.”
Alliance Hospitality views the Mentor market as an ideal place to operate a high-quality hotel, Campbell said.
“This area in the last 25 years really developed itself corporately,” he said. “A lot of new companies have opened up and with (Route 2) being so accessible, its a fantastic location.”
In addition to providing lodging for travelers, Holiday Inn-Mentor boasts 11,000 square feet of meeting space and is available not only for business gatherings but also for events such as weddings and family reunions, Campbell said.
For the city of Mentor, the opening of the new Holiday Inn represents a jump in quality and prestige from previous companies that operated hotels on the site, said Mentor Community and Economic Development Director Ronald Traub.
In addition, Traub lauded Holiday Inn-Mentor for doing a fine job on the hotel renovation.
“I have been through the old facility and the new and it’s nothing short of a transformation,” Traub said. “It’s really a first-class place for both family accommodations as well as events.”
