ST. LOUIS, June 23, 2016 — Drury Hotels Company's first property in Cleveland, Ohio, an historic renovation of the long-vacant Board of Education building built in 1931, is now open and welcoming guests. The new hotel, the Drury Plaza Cleveland Downtown, took two years to preserve and renovate. Today, the property features 189 guest rooms and more than 3,900 square feet of event and meeting space.
The renovation of the Cleveland property continues Drury Hotels' established reputation for quality restorations of historic buildings across the country. Other historic renovations include properties in St. Louis, San Antonio, New Orleans and Wichita.
Conveniently located on East 6th Street, the Drury Plaza is within walking distance of FirstEnergy Stadium, home to the Cleveland Browns, as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Cleveland Indians' Progressive Field and the World Champion Cleveland Cavaliers' Quicken Loans Arena.
"We are thrilled to be able to breathe life into such a beautiful, historic property in the center of downtown Cleveland," said Chuck Drury, president and CEO of Drury Hotels. "My family founded this company more than 40 years ago with the singular goal to provide our guests with clean rooms, friendly service and honest value. We look forward to delivering these principles to our guests and to all the visitors who will soon be descending upon this great city for the upcoming convention."
Special care was taken to maintain as many of the historic details of the property as possible. Upon entering the hotel, guests are greeted by a bright two-story lobby showcasing three 12-foot arched windows, an intricate marble floor flanked by 18-foot marble columns, an early 20th century-inspired bronze chandelier and two fully restored Depression-era murals painted in 1931 by Cora Holden.
The preservation efforts were extended to the hotel's meeting, event and common spaces. The original stage in the auditorium remains, and the rest of the auditorium has been transformed into meeting space. The original board room, where the Board of Education held their meetings, also has been transformed into a meeting space. Historic wall murals, original intricate stenciling and molding, as well as original auditorium seating, oak bookshelves and hand-painted linen wallpaper were restored with meticulous detail. Special care also was taken to preserve numerous original architectural details throughout the property including doors, light fixtures, wall clocks and marble floors.
The original floor plans were left virtually unchanged, which resulted in more than 49 different layouts for guestrooms. One of the unique features of the hotel is the outdoor greenspace. The property is surrounded by grass and trees, which is an unusual characteristic of a downtown hotel. There also are two outdoor patio areas. Despite the historic renovation effort, the hotel offers many modern touches such as a state-of-the-art fitness center.
Additionally, the hotel offers a wide range of complimentary amenities including:
- Wi-Fi
- Hot breakfast featuring fresh waffles, biscuits and gravy, eggs, yogurt and more from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on weekdays and 7 to 10 a.m. on weekends
- Soda and popcorn from 3 to 10 p.m.
- 5:30 Kickback® reception including beer, wine and appetizers
- 24-hour business and fitness centers
- Indoor pool and whirlpool
The Drury Hotels Company has been family-owned and operated since 1973. For more information about careers at this hotel and other Drury locations, visit www.drurycareers.com.
