Seattle Renaissance Gets $28M Remodel
Renaissance Seattle Hotel is putting the finishing touches on a $28 million facelift in hopes of attracting more business travelers and groups to the downtown Seattle hotel.
The top-to-bottom renovation — which launched about two years ago — is almost completed. The 553-room hotel has a new lobby bar and lounge, fitness center and a new 5,000-square-foot banquet room.
The project predates the recession, said Rene Neidhart, general manager of the 28-story hotel, which is franchised under Marriott’s upscale Renaissance Hotels and Resorts brand. The project is part of Marriott’s efforts to spiff up the brand and attract more guests.
The timing of the renovations was fortuitous, Neidhart said, allowing the hotel to land new business during a slump. Neidhart said the second ballroom allows the hotel to have several groups in at the same time.
Such is the case in April when groups such as the Catholic Cemeteries of the West are having meetings. Other groups booked in April in including the National Organization of Veterans Advocates Inc. and the Administrative Offices of the United States Courts.
With the second banquet room, the hotel has seen an 8 percent increase in group rooms rentals, compared to the year before, Neidhart said.
Renaissance promotes a local experience. In Seattle, that means everything form stocking mostly Northwest wines, to conducting architectural and arts walks to beer tastings at Pike Place Market or exposing guests to the city’s popular cafes as part of a coffee culture tour.
Renaissance Seattle Hotel was affected by the recession, but the hotel has fared better than some of its competitors.
Hotels in Seattle saw a 19 percent decline in 2009 in revenue per available room — an industry statistic widely used to measure a hotel’s overall financial performance. Seattle Renaissance’s revenue per available room last year declined by 4 percent, Neidhart said.
“The landscape for us looks a little better than other hotels,” he said.
