A Hilton-branded hotel is opening in downtown Toledo this spring following a 17-month makeover of the 35-year-old building.
“This is probably the most impactful development in downtown Toledo since the opening of the Huntington Center in 2009,” Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken said.
The hotel at 101 N. Summit St. is a result of a $67.9 million upgrade to the former 15-story Park Inn hotel.
The hotel redevelopment project, which started in November, 2020, was funded through a public-private partnership — Toledo PI Acquisitions LLC — comprising the county commissioners, Stephen Schwartz of First Hospitality, and developer Frank Kass, chairman of Columbus-based Continental Real Estate Co.
The hotel is adjacent to the former SeaGate Convention Centre, which is also under renovation and is expected to open in September as Glass City Center.
“The renovation of both the hotel and the convention center went remarkably well, and we plan to open [the hotel] around April 15,” Mr. Kass said, adding that the city of Toledo, the Lucas County commissioners, and ProMedica had collectively convinced him to buy the old hotel and redevelop it into a new Hilton following successful cooperation developing the Marina District Apartments across the river from the hotel in 2019-2021.
“It’s a beautiful renovation,” he said. “The county is doing a wonderful job renovating the convention center while we brought in a wonderful Columbus restaurant — Napa Kitchen and Bar.”
The new Hilton will be operated by First Hospitality Group, a Chicago hotel company that already owns and operates the Renaissance Toledo Downtown hotel several blocks away on Summit.
Anthony Leitz, First Hospitality’s vice president for operations, said Thursday he expected the hotel to open within 30 to 40 days.
“We are very excited,” Mr. Leitz said. “It’s going to be a great addition to the downtown market.”
The new Hilton will include two brands: a Hilton Garden Inn Toledo Downtown with 217 guest rooms, and Hilton Homewood Suites with 93 rooms. The new facility also offers more than 8,000 square feet of event space, a fitness center, and on-site dining, according to its website.
The hotel website Thursday offered May 15 as the earliest date to book a room online. Mr. Leitz, however, said that could change should the hotel operator decide “to bump up the opening a week or two.”
Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak said the hotel project is on schedule.
“Right now we are in the middle of getting the staff hired and trained and ready to go, and are waiting for all the inspections to go through,” Mr. Leitz said, adding that the majority of staff have been hired.
“The new hotel will be able to showcase all the other downtown developments over the past six years and will put us above every other city our size in the region, including Akron, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Mich., Fort Wayne, Ind., and Dayton, Ohio,” Commissioner Gerken said.
The project costs have exceeded the original $64.5 million budget by $3.4 million, Mr. Byers said.
Commissioner Wozniak said the additional investment covered interior upgrades for the Napa Kitchen restaurant.
“The interior design is really trendy and makes [the restaurant] an exciting place,” Ms. Wozniak said. “It’s just going to have charm. And the proximity to Fifth Third Field, Hensvillle, and Huntington Center makes it a cornerstone location for the community — a new and focused downtown.”
As to the Glass City Center Ballroom, hotel guests will be able to book it through the convention center once its renovation is completed, Mr. Leitz said.
The ballroom, which will seat more than 1,000 people, is needed to attract additional conventions to Toledo, Mr. Gerken said. The convention center renovation is expected to be completed by Labor Day, by which time the ballroom would also be operational, he said.
“The views from the hotel just take your breath away,” Commission President Gary Byers said, adding that combining the hotel with the redeveloped convention center and its Glass City Center Ballroom is expected to generate $800 million in economic activity in downtown Toledo over the next 20 years.
“And that inspires our entire community,” Mr. Byers said.
The county bought the hotel for $7.9 million and spent another $37 million on its renovation — all financed with 20-year bonds through its Lucas County Economic Development Corp., while Continental, First Hospitality, and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority provided the rest, Commissioner Gerken said.
Under the development agreement between the involved parties, Continental and First Hospitality have an option to buy out the county by returning its investment within five years from the day the hotel opens, Mr. Gerken said.
The county will receive 20 percent of the hotel’s net operating income until the bonds mature or until the building is sold, at which time the bonds would be retired, he said. Under the agreement, the county is guaranteed its debt payment, he said.
“A new and reputable hotel in downtown Toledo is always an exciting thing,” Commissioner Wozniak said. “The hotel is meeting the needs of our high demand for hotel space downtown. And for that, I am entirely delighted.”
First Published March 27, 2022, 2:37 p.m.
