Feb. 19–UTICA — Don't call it the Radisson anymore.
With $6 million in renovations to the 200 Genesee St. facility, the current Hotel at Utica Centre is preparing to transition into a Delta Hotel by Marriott by May, with hopes for the grand opening in June.
The hotel began renovations in September to its 162 rooms, said hotel General Manager Kevin Tuohy. With that finished, Tuohy said staff now is preparing to remodel the hotel's public areas, including the lobby, restaurant and ballrooms.
"The design is completely modern. It's intuitive," he said. "This hotel was built in 1980 as a Sheraton at the time, then converted to a Radisson about seven years after. Now converting to a Marriott property, we're really modernizing the entire hotel."
The hotel is owned by United Capital Corp. After the franchise agreement with Radisson expired Dec. 31, the Hotel at Utica Centre has operated independently as it prepares for the Marriott conversion.
The new rooms feature amenities more suited to today's technology, Tuohy said. The general manager said the hotel's high-speed internet capabilities have been revamped, while the rooms have been equipped with USB ports and more wall outlets than before.
"The needs of today's travelers and the needs of travelers 40 years ago are completely different," Tuohy said.
Changing plans
In July 2015, the hotel — then still the Radisson — had been slated for $3.5 in renovations, including improvements to guestrooms, public and meetings spaces, the lounge and corridors by the end of 2016.
Mike McCurdy, vice president of Hotel Operations at United Capital Corp., said those plans changed at some point before the renovations moved forward. The $3.5 million then increased to $6 million, he said, to cover the additional costs needed to brand as a Marriott property.
From the viewpoint of United Capital Corp., McCurdy said the renovations also were likely driven by the hotels that have developed in North Utica near the Thruway. One such development, an 89-room Home2 Suites, is scheduled for construction in 2019 just near a Holiday Inn Express & Suites along North Genesee Street.
"We knew we were going to have to reflag and we had an opportunity to. It was an aging product. It needed an update and that's what it's getting now," McCurdy said. "We look forward to providing a fresh new product for everybody under one of the most well-recognized brands in the country. We look forward to being part of the Utica downtown community and we hope we can help stimulate business in that area of the community."
Tuohy, who stated he was unfamiliar with the 2015 plans, said there "literally is not a single piece of property or furniture inside the hotel that is visible to guests that has not been completely updated or replaced during the course of this current renovation."
Moving forward
A five-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement was passed in 2015 by the Utica Industrial Development Agency. A request for a copy of the PILOT from the city was not immediately returned.
"The city's been absolutely fantastic to work with," Tuohy said. "They were very supportive of our efforts. There are always bumps in the road with these types of projects, but we're on schedule. We're excited about it."
Tuohy also released more details about the renovations planned for the public area.
The Shade Bar and Grill, which is replacing the Encore, will be a sports-themed bar and restaurant capable of breakfast, lunch and dinner service. The Junior Ballroom — replacing a first-floor room dubbed the Garden Grille, which currently has booth seating and tables — will be capable of hosting special events at two-thirds the size of the hotel's grand ballroom.
Those services will be provided by in-house staff.
"(Delta's) tagline is 'simple made perfect,' and that's what we're going to pride ourselves on at this hotel," Tuohy said. "What we do is an easy business — just like when you have family come for the holidays. It's relatively simple. We're going to make it perfect."
Contact reporter Greg Mason at 315-792-5074 or follow him on Twitter (@OD_Mason).
