Omni Charlotte Hotel, Trade Restaurant & Bar.
$550 million project is groundbreaking in diversity participation and inclusion; Model for non-profit community partnerships. Also, Omni Charlotte Hotel Announces Completion Of $26 Million Renovation.
BOSTON – Executives from Omni Hotels & Resorts along with Governor Charlie Baker, Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and New Boston Hospitality, broke ground yesterday on the highly anticipated Omni Boston Seaport Hotel. The city's fourth largest hotel will reflect the rich history of the city of Boston while providing guests with the ultimate Omni experience.
"This project's hotel, retail, restaurant and outdoor space is a welcome addition to Boston's Seaport District and will lead to expanded economic opportunities for many businesses within the Commonwealth," said Governor Charlie Baker. "Our administration looks forward to continuing to work together with partners at the local level and in the private sector to support economic development in communities across Massachusetts."
National hotel leader Omni Hotels & Resorts, along with a team of highly seasoned, local real estate professionals from New Boston Hospitality, were designated by Massport in 2017 to develop the state-of-the-art hotel. The team committed from the outset to include equity participation from an unprecedented level of minority and women-owned investors and businesses.
Set to open in late 2020 on the two-acre parcel of Massport-owned land at the corner of Summer and D Streets, the Omni Boston Seaport Hotel will be a catalyst to the development in the Seaport District. The hotel will feature 1,055 finely appointed guest rooms inclusive of 52 suites that will top out at 21 floors. Select suites will feature views of the Boston Harbor. Other hotel highlights include:
- Food & Beverage: The culinary experiences at Omni Boston Seaport Hotel will include an all-day restaurant and collaborative workspace, lobby lounge, entertainment lounge, French brasserie and boulangerie as well as an elevated pool bar and grill.
- Meetings & Events: The hotel will house approximately 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space that includes the largest hotel ballroom in Boston's Seaport District, along with breakout rooms, outdoor and pre-function spaces.
- Lifestyle: Guests will have access to an urban rooftop pool deck located on the fourth floor. The pool deck will have an optional space which will allow guests to host year-round events featuring views of Boston's skyline. In addition, guests can relax, unwind and beautify at the signature Mokara Spa that is complete with a fitness center and blow dry hair bar that will be available to hotel guests as well as locals via street access. The hotel will also feature a curated retail shop with items from local purveyors.
"This is more than just a groundbreaking, it's a celebration of the diversity and inclusion this project represents from its design, to its contracting, to its nonprofit partners," said Mayor Walsh. "The Omni Boston Seaport Hotel is a welcome addition to our city, providing better public access to the waterfront, improving walkability to the area and investing in our workforce. I look forward to seeing the vision for this hotel come to life, for the benefit of Boston's residents and visitors alike."
"Boston is a premier destination and we are incredibly excited to be a part of the city's continued evolution – especially in the Seaport District," said Peter Strebel, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts. "We look forward to working together with Massport, New Boston Hospitality, Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh to establish the Omni Boston Seaport Hotel as an unforgettable destination for years to come."
In addition, six local non-profit organizations will receive a portion of the hotel's profits, including The Edgerley Family South Boston Clubhouse of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, The South Boston Community Health Center, Julie's Family Learning Center, Ladies Involved in Putting a Stop To Inner-City Killing (LIPSTICK), The Daniel Marr Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester and the Building Pathways Program, a pre-apprenticeship program that provides construction career opportunities to low-income Boston residents.
"This groundbreaking not only signifies the strong economic progress happening in the city of Boston, but also the fundamental building blocks of opportunity we are creating for our workforce," said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. "We are also excited to see that the chance we took of adding a diversity criteria has paid dividends, and the outcome so far has been outstanding. We look forward to further strengthening our partnership with Omni Hotels as we watch this project evolve into a key destination for visitors from across the state and country."
The $550 million project is estimated to create 1,100 construction jobs and between 700 – 1,000 permanent jobs.
"This is a multifaceted groundbreaking," stated Brian Fallon, President of TDC Development Group, a division of The Davis Companies. "It's an unprecedented project that will transform South Boston's already thriving convention and tourism business by adding over 1,000 hotel rooms and provide a professional hospitality training institute to support industry career growth. We also hope that it will set a precedent for minority and women-owned business enterprise participation in real estate development."
The Omni Boston Seaport Hotel will become a part of Omni's robust, and growing, Convention Center Collection, which features signature properties in Atlanta, Louisville, Dallas, Fort Worth and Nashville. Upon opening, it will be the largest hotel in Omni's portfolio.
Omni Charlotte Hotel Announces Completion Of $26 Million Renovation
Meanwhile, Omni Charlotte Hotel announced the completion of its $26 million dollar property renovation that includes a sleek new exterior, a modern lobby experience, a refreshed restaurant and bar, new cosmopolitan guest rooms and suites and a redesigned rooftop pool deck and bar space that will surely be the city's go-to urban oasis.
"With this multimillion-dollar project complete, Omni Charlotte Hotel is a one-of-a-kind destination for leisure and business travelers alike," said Douglas Hustad, general manager for Omni Charlotte Hotel. "We have watched the daily progression of this impressive renovation and it's truly remarkable to see it come to life."
The hotel's design theme revolves around Charlotte's unique history with precious metals. The hotel now offers custom fabrics and finishes of rich gold and silver tones, resulting in a design that is timeless, luxurious and sophisticated.
The hotel transformation started with a redesign of its 374 guest rooms and suites, now affording guests a better in-room amenity experience. Rooms include a modular coffee bar built into the countertop, oversized sofas near the windows and a color palette that is subtle and sophisticated with touches that tie back to the overall concept of precious metals. Additionally, the bathrooms received new vanities and showers.
Arguably, one of the most exciting parts of the multimillion-dollar improvement is the complete redesign of the rooftop pool deck, Coin Bar. The area has nearly 3,000 additional square feet of space that includes a stylish new bar and grill featuring poolside cocktails and small bites. The space also features 22' (w) by 12' (h) double-sided LED television screens that can be seen from EPICENTRE, the surrounding area of businesses and entertainment venues. Coin Bar is an ideal space to relax and unwind, catch live entertainment or watch sporting events.
The hotel's entry facade now features an expansive glass exterior, giving the hotel a more prominent street presence. When guests walk into the lobby, they will immediately notice the luxury enhancements made to the property including gleaming flooring, burnished metal wall finishes and a new guest registration. Metals also serve as inspiration for the finishes used in the cocktail tables, furniture and other lobby fixtures.
Trade Restaurant & Bar welcomes an expanded bar that opens into the lobby, providing guests direct access to the new space. The restaurant's new modern seating, tables, carpet and decorative lighting all help create a serene dining venue.
The exclusive club lounge on the 14th floor now includes new counter bars with views of the Charlotte skyline. It serves as an area for guests to start their day with complimentary breakfast items or to end their day with a cocktail.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
