Downtown Plaza Hotel to become Holiday Inn

[sgrizzle]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=32&articleid=20090602_32_E1_Holida67941

Downtown hotel sold to become Holiday Inn

by: ROBERT EVATT World Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
6/2/2009 5:30:49 AM

Holiday Inn will soon join downtown Tulsa's hotel brands as it takes over the now-closed Downtown Plaza Hotel.

The 14-story building at Seventh Street and Boulder Avenue has been purchased by OHT IV LLC, a Missouri company, for $6.74 million, Tulsa County land records show.

The hotel closed last week. Signs on the building indicate that it will undergo renovations and conversion into a Holiday Inn, with the work to be finished by this fall.

Renovation workers said the building's representative is Mark Stumm, the chief operating officer of Noble Hospitality Inc. of Kansas City, Mo. He was unavailable for comment Monday.

OHT purchased the building from Chisholm Properties Ltd. of Tulsa, which owned the building less than two years. Chisholm had purchased the hotel, then known as the Great Western Downtown Plaza Hotel, from Rainbow Vegas LP, which had owned it since 1994.

Chisholm rebranded the hotel the Downtown Plaza and began a multimillion-dollar renovation that was continuing when OHT bought the building.

Noble develops and operates many hotels across the Midwest.

The Denver Grill, which moved to the hotel in 2005 after construction of the BOK Center forced it to relocate, closed last year.

Robert Evatt 581-8447
robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com

Hopefully this means faster progress than the previous owner.

[Oil Capital]

Indeed.  Hopefully, this one actually happens.  IIRC, we were told it was going to become a Marriott Courtyard in one of the prior sales.

[swake]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=32&articleid=20090602_32_E1_Holida67941


Hopefully this means faster progress than the previous owner.

Isn't this hotel coming full circle? Wasn't it opened as a Holiday Inn?

[carltonplace]

It certainly resembles one: an inn that you don't want to stay on Holiday.

They should incorporate the parking lot just east on 7th and add some green space with a pool, bar and restaurant.

[dbacks fan]

Isn't this hotel coming full circle? Wasn't it opened as a Holiday Inn?

You are quite correct, I think it opend in the early 70's.

[Conan71]

I agree with Swake and DBack, I do believe this was a Holiday Inn once already. 

I sure hope they use non-union labor just to make a statement of how douchey the carpenter's union's intimidation tactics are.

[Steve]

You are quite correct, I think it opend in the early 70's.

Yep, it opened as a Holiday Inn from the very beginning and I recall it being a Holiday Inn up to around the mid 1980s.  I think it first opened a little earlier, mid-late 1960s.  I am suprised the World article didn't mention that it was originally built as a Holiday Inn.

[dbacks fan]

Yep, it opened as a Holiday Inn from the very beginning and I recall it being a Holiday Inn up to around the mid 1980s.  I think it first opened a little earlier, mid-late 1960s.  I am suprised the World article didn't mention that it was originally built as a Holiday Inn.

Five bucks says the reporter was born not too long before it changed from a Holiday Inn.

[dbacks fan]

Speaking of old hotels, has anything ever been done with the old Sheraton Skyline at I-44 and 41st?

[Conan71]

Speaking of old hotels, has anything ever been done with the old Sheraton Skyline at I-44 and 41st?

I think that is the one occupied as TCC's corp offices or 12 & 12, a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility.

[T Badd]

Speaking of old hotels, has anything ever been done with the old Sheraton Skyline at I-44 and 41st?

It's right next door to the building that houses TCC and TTC. The old Sheraton has been completely renovated for use as a 12&12 facility. You can still see some of the old Sheraton labelscars on the sign as you exit behind the building.

[Ihearttacos]

I remember this being a Holiday Inn when I went to the bank across the street, then the 4th National --early to mid 80s.  

I hope Holiday Inn can market this building and fill it, we have had too many attempts ending in failure...Last time I looked at this building most of the rooms had open or broken curtains with half demolished rooms, not to mention the ground floor had spaces filled with insulation, old carpeting and the like.  

I think a tiki theme and lounge bar would draw some attention, its style has never been much for drawing the clients who would stay at a place called Downtown Plaza Hotel.  It needs hype to stand ground.  Give it some greenery and a little fun please!

[dbacks fan]

 I think a tiki theme and lounge bar would draw some attention, its style has never been much for drawing the clients who would stay at a place called Downtown Plaza Hotel.  It needs hype to stand ground.  Give it some greenery and a little fun please!

Tiki theme? Anyone remember the "Tiki Nook" at the old Trade Winds West?

On topic, I would hope that Holiday Inn can make it work and do it right, and not go glitzy like a lot of the newer botique hotels and then charge outrageous prices. There is an old Holiday Inn in downtown Scottsdale that has now become the Mondrian by Morgan Hotels. During season they charge about $300/night catering to the younger crowd. With the hit the economy has taken, it will be intersting to see how some of these botique hotels do.

[TheArtist]

Sorry to sound harsh, but I wouldn't recommend anyone stay at that hotel. The hotel itself is not pedestrian friendly and its in a corner of downtown that is completely un-pedestrian friendly and very unattractive. The hotel and everything around it is poorly designed. 

[joiei]

Here is the link to Noble Hospitality  http://www.noblehospitality.com/welcomefromcn.html  They manage several different brands, none of them look to be boutiquey (can I say that, is that an acceptable word?)  From their website

Noble Hospitality, Inc., in its 15 year history, has won numerous national awards including Ramada Franchise Systems Renovation of the Year and Hotel of the Year, Ramada Inn and Days Inn Marketing and Sales of the Year and Country Kitchen Sales Promotion Award. Noble Hospitality also manages Holiday Inn Quality Excellent Award Winners, Ramada Inn President's Award Winners and many Gold Key properties.

In 2005 Noble Hospitality won the 2005 Lodging Hospitality Distinctive Design Award for Interior Hotel Design.