January 31, 201312 yr I can say for certain that on three separate occasions this summer I tried to get a room on a Thursday thru Monday and all three times, every hotel downtown was sold out. We have a lot of out of town guests and that has never happened to me before this year.
February 1, 201312 yr Westin Demo Work Update - Photo from today Based on the remodel renderings, most of the old brick that is going to be removed is now removed...The large and small 6-story brick columns on the West, South and East sides are pretty much gone. Outside demo workers have had a really rough week between the frigid cold, rain, wind and snow, but they kept rockin' like it was nothing. I'm anxious to see what the next steps are at this point... Somewhat related to the 'hotel' thread of these theme, I noticed another potential hotel site around the corner from the Westin had 'Auction' signs put up this morning - the Cleveland Board of Education building will apparently be auctioned off in March. I really hope it gets the TLC it needs and is converted to a hotel or residential...
February 1, 201312 yr This e-mailed City Council agenda item is for the Westin project....... C A L E N D A R Public Service Committee MONDAY, February 4, 2013 11:00 a.m. MERCEDES COTNER COMMITTEE ROOM 217 CITY HALL Ord. No. 1726-12 By Council Members Cimperman, Miller, Cleveland, and Kelley (by departmental request) Authorizing the Director of Capital Projects to issue a permit to OPTIMA 777, LLC to encroach into the public right-of-way of East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue by installing, using, and maintaining an entrance canopy, 10 bollards and auto drop of zone on St. Clair Avenue, outdoor dining area on East 6th Street, entrance canopy and sign on East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue, sidewalk planter on St. Clair Avenue and flag poles, piers, stairwell enclosure and metal façade on East 6th and St. Clair Avenue. Remarks by Director of Office of Capital Projects: See Legislation. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 1, 201312 yr NWTB, Photos are much appreciated, please keep them coming throughout this project
February 5, 201312 yr Anyone remember when phase III of the county's property disposition will be decided? That's the phase in which the current county HQ will be sold? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 5, 201312 yr Tuesday, February 5, 2013 Cleveland Athletic Club building could be in line for hotel makeover By STAN BULLARD 12:43 pm, February 4, 2013 Plans to rejuvenate the shuttered Cleveland Athletic Club building, this time as a Crowne Plaza Hotel, surfaced today, Feb. 4, as hotel management and development concern Dellisart LLC of Roswell, Ga., announced it has been awarded a contract to operate a 194-room Crowne Plaza there. Dellisart, which describes itself as a hotel developer as well as a third-party hotel manager, said in a news release that the renovation will include a restaurant, health club, and upscale condominiums. Dellisart said the renovation plans are going through design work and are slated to “commence shortly.” http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20130204/FREE/130209933
February 5, 201312 yr ^The CAC hotel now has its own thread. It was created yesterday by KJP when other posters first reported this news and a discussion has begun in that thread.
February 5, 201312 yr It's my understanding that the Ritz Carlton has closed their pool permanently. Anyone know why this would be the case?
February 5, 201312 yr It's my understanding that the Ritz Carlton has closed their pool permanently. Anyone know why this would be the case? Dan Gilbert needs it to store all his cash before the Brinks truck can haul it away.
February 5, 201312 yr It's my understanding that the Ritz Carlton has closed their pool permanently. Anyone know why this would be the case? ??? Weird. It was a nice pool for an indoor pool, had a cool skylight above it. Maybe this is part if their renovation?
February 5, 201312 yr ^The CAC hotel now has its own thread. It was created yesterday by KJP when other posters first reported this news and a discussion has begun in that thread. Thanks, but heightsfan deserves the name recognition for being the first to post that story. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 8, 201312 yr Westin Demo Work Update: Crews have started removing the horizontal and vertical steel supports on the 6th & 7th floor facade. Looks like they are using an acetylene torch to slice through the beams. Fencing just went up on the 2-5 floors and I'm guessing this is because the old rusted out steel guard rails are going next. More brick removal on the 8th floor. Looks like some interior work is starting but it is very hard to see anything through the filthy windows...
February 8, 201312 yr I am surprised the renovation of the tower leaves the brown metal panels. I remember when The Bond Court Hotel was all brick and these panels were added later. The renovation of the lower section now seems as an add on rather than a complete integration. It also appears the original presented design has been altered.
February 8, 201312 yr Maybe that's next? Those panels look pretty dirty if not worn. Perhaps they just need to be cleaned? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 12, 201312 yr Looks like the Westin ballroom is in that space up above the garage levels. This article about the new Sales & Marketing Director includes a description of a glass staircase ascending from the ballroom. - A staircase is visible in the hi-res image linked from the article. I'm just supposing that's what I see there, but it looks about right. I'm happy to see that old dog of a hotel come to life again. I stayed there on a visit to Cleveland a few years ago, and it had a really dumpy feel in the lobby and an awkward arrangement for the garage and guest elevators. http://www.sys-con.com/node/2534844
February 12, 201312 yr Avoid that stretch of St. Clair today - there were many trucks parked in front of the hotel this morning and they had even more lanes blocked off.
February 13, 201312 yr bjk: The trucks parked on St. Clair between E 6th & E 9th have nothing to do with the hotel project - they are part of a sewer lining project and should be gone by Wednesday. They are apparently lining the sewers with styrene, from which the very strong smell permeated the area today and brought me back to the days I used to work at a styrene factory in Ashtabula....
July 31, 201311 yr This article has in-depth photo tours of both the BOE building, which has some fantastic public spaces, as well as a great photo tour of several historic renovations Drury has done in other cities. I was skeptical of this brand because I simply don't know it, but at least from the photo's it looks like a moderately upscale chain that does a good job of maintaining historic character in old buildings. Of course I do not know how these facilities looked prior to the Drury conversion. Crain's Cleveland Business Photo gallery: Era is ending at Cleveland school district headquarters By STAN BULLARD 4:30 am, July 29, 2013 An era is ending at the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's headquarters building at 1380 E. Sixth St., which has been sold to become a luxury Drury Plaza Hotel. The first of the district's employees to vacate the building, the ornate home of Cleveland schools since 1930, will start moving out next Monday, Aug. 5. The last will exit by Sept. 20. Soon afterwards, St. Louis-based Drury Hotels will gain control of the property to begin the huge task of converting it to a business-oriented hotel. (CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF THE EAST SIXTH STREET PROPERTY THAT WILL BECOME THE DRURY PLAZA HOTEL. GO HERE FOR A LOOK AT WHAT DRURY HAS DONE WITH HOTELS IN OTHER MARKETS.) http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20130729/FREE/306259998/0/FRONTPAGE
July 31, 201311 yr They've started putting the new windows in. tThey started at the top and are 1/4 to 1/2 way down. Not sure about the interiors. They've built the steel framework for that slanted architectural "Piece" above what was and I assume will be the main entry door (Shown in rendering above).
August 15, 201311 yr Don't kill the messenger..... http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2013/08162013/index.php City Planning Commission Agenda for August 16, 2013 FAR WEST DESIGN REVIEW 1. FW2013-020 - Value Place Hotel New Construction Project Address: 20445 Emerald Parkway Project Representatives: Tim Reber, Value Place Jason Dobrozsi, Value Place "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 16, 201311 yr I've never heard of that hotel chain. Is it sort of the Aldi's of hotels? https://www.instagram.com/cle_and_beyond/https://www.instagram.com/jbkaufer/
August 16, 201311 yr I've never heard of that hotel chain. Is it sort of the Aldi's of hotels? I've never heard of that hotel chain. Is it sort of the Aldi's of hotels? Ha, Aldi's takes offense to that. They are extended stay hotels. There is on in Green that can be seen from the highway and their sign has and LED display with the actually price per week on it that can change. Either they changed their model or were not allowed to use it at this location.
August 16, 201311 yr Looks more like the "Value City" of hotels. Similar logo as well. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 17, 201311 yr I think they're made of cardboard and serve Kraft Mac N Cheese for room service.
August 19, 201311 yr I drove by the Avon one yesterday and the sign said "$219" and I thought, "Whoa, that's expensive!" But then I saw that was per week.
August 19, 201311 yr I think they're made of cardboard and serve Kraft Mac N Cheese for room service. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 19, 201311 yr I drove by the Avon one yesterday and the sign said "$219" and I thought, "Whoa, that's expensive!" But then I saw that was per week. The one in Mentor often times says $149 or $169. I don't know if I've ever seen it above $189.
August 19, 201311 yr I drove by the Avon one yesterday and the sign said "$219 The one in Mentor often times says $149 or $169. I don't know if I've ever seen it above $189. When it comes to our K-mart hotels, we're high class out here on the West Side.
August 21, 201311 yr Looks like 1 of 6... :| Value Place plans six company-owned hotels in Greater Cleveland market By Michelle Jarboe McFee, The Plain Dealer Email the author | Follow on Twitter on August 21, 2013 at 4:50 PM, updated August 21, 2013 at 4:51 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Value Place, an extended-stay hotel chain, expects to add six hotels in the Cleveland area during the next two years. The company, based in Wichita, Kan., recently lined up a site off Emerald Parkway, just north of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Value Place, which presented designs to the Cleveland City Planning Commission last week, hopes to start construction in January and open the 124-room hotel by August 2014. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/08/value_place_plans_six_company-.html#incart_river_default
August 21, 201311 yr Time to invest in balsa wood and cardboard. Those appear to be the materials of choice in the construction of these glorified shoeboxes. :| "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 22, 201311 yr Whatever happened to the UO forumer who was giving us pictures of the Westin Hotel development. He used to work nearby. We lost all of his pictures in UO crash of 2013.
August 22, 201311 yr Time to invest in balsa wood and cardboard. Those appear to be the materials of choice in the construction of these glorified shoeboxes. :| If Cleveland wants & expects better in terms of design standards, perhaps it's time to update their zoning/building code to require higher standards...
August 22, 201311 yr If Cleveland wants & expects better in terms of design standards, perhaps it's time to update their zoning/building code to require higher standards... "We have too much government. Private enterprise can always do a better job than government." ;) "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 22, 201311 yr Author Although I think the design is terrible, I'm not too worked up over it since it is at the edge of the city on a dead end street, extremely isolated from everything, in a suburban looking area, and I'll never have to see this thing in person! Based on location this design is almost expected.
August 22, 201311 yr They will raise our total number of hotel rooms as well...when vying for conventions.
August 22, 201311 yr ^I did have a quiet laugh to myself when I saw this news thinking about visiting delegates, politicians, and other stuffed shirts staying in these deluxe accommodations. But in all seriousness, these can only help those efforts. Just keep them far away from downtown and UC.
August 27, 201311 yr FWIW, I was walking past the Westin project yesterday and snapped a couple pics. Looks like work is progressing. They have the face off the garage and look to be replacing windows as well.
August 28, 201311 yr Thanks for sharing, AJ. Well done. #positivereinforcement #personalvalidation I feel so alive!!
August 28, 201311 yr FWIW, I was walking past the Westin project yesterday and snapped a couple pics. Looks like work is progressing. They have the face off the garage and look to be replacing windows as well. Even half way finished this already seems a drastic improvement!
August 28, 201311 yr Author Thanks for sharing, AJ. Well done. #positivereinforcement #personalvalidation I feel so alive!! Hahahah!
September 1, 201311 yr Hi All, been away for a while. My company recently moved out of the Lincoln building across from the Westin re-development. I miss watching the daily progress... I had the opportunity to visit the Terminal Tower Observation Deck today and got a really nice shot of progress at the Westin. I used to have a birds-eye view from the 6th floor of the Lincoln building, but this is even better! Last I saw, the laborers were cracking the old windows out by drilling a hole in the middle and then taking the glass out, on chard at a time. Freaking insane. Looks like all/most of the new windows are in now, and they look really good. The new ballroom area is really shaping up and I see framing for the new exterior going up too. Over in my new home in the former Diamond Shamrock building (now rechristened 'Oswald Centre'), (guess where I work), I'm anxiously awaiting the East Ohio Gas building conversion...
Create an account or sign in to comment