A hotel in Glenwood South is welcoming guests after the pandemic jeopardized its opening.
The AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown at 9 Glenwood Ave. officially opened Friday following construction delays last year. Raleigh-based Summit Hospitality Group Ltd. operates the 7-story, 146-room hotel as part of the AC Hotels by Marriott (Nasdaq: MAR) line.
“It’s a very special day because we’ve been through a pandemic and a lot in the past year and a half,” said CEO R. Doyle Parrish. “This hotel has struggled with the supply chain issues in our economy. But the team here has pulled together and the Marriott has come through so we’re very excited to be opening.”
Summit Hospitality Group purchased the property – which was previously a collection of office buildings – for $4 million in 2018 and construction began in February 2020 but was interrupted by the onset of the coronavirus.
“It put a shock into our goals, but we continued to develop because we were at the point of no return,” Parrish said. “We are a little late in opening the hotel; we are about three months later than we hoped to be and we attribute most of that to the pandemic.”
The total investment was about $40 million for the hotel, which is owned by Glenwood Willard Hotel LLC out of Raleigh.
The property will employ about 60 to 70 people but currently is dealing with issues stemming from the labor shortage.
Recovery has been slow for the hospitality industry in Wake County, as hotel occupancy in the second quarter reached 52 percent, an over 11 percent increase year-to-date, according to the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh). Despite weak business travel activity, leisure travel still is strong, Parrish said.
The AC Hotel by Marriott in Glenwood South.
DANE HUFFMAN
The AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown is the 91st location in the the AC Hotels brand, which focuses on design as well as function. AC Hotels was launched in 1999 in Madrid, Spain, and today its over 175 hotels around the world have a Spanish Influence. The new Raleigh property features modernized rooms and public spaces, signature food and beverages and a rooftop lounge with small bites, cocktails and a view of downtown. Also, artwork from North Carolina artists including Raleigh-based muralist Taylor White is on display.
“The hotel is located in a very vibrant part of the city and we feel like that will have its own benefits,” Parrish added. "This is a lifestyle hotel, which means it is supposed to be indigenous to the community."
Founded in 1989, Summit Hospitality Group now owns and operates 18 hotels across the state and has nearly $500 million in assets. Its properties in the Triangle include the Residence Inn Downtown Raleigh, Residence Inn by Marriott Raleigh Midtown and Hilton Garden Inn Durham Southpoint. The company has more than 700 employees.
https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2021/09/26/ac-hotel-opens-in-raleigh-glenwood-south.html
"This historic boutique hotel in uptown Charlotte is undergoing a multimillion-dollar facelift.
The Dunhill Hotel is refreshing its 60 guest rooms and celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. It is located at 237 N. Tryon St." (Read More); Charlotte Business Journal / 12.23.19 / Jennifer Thomas
​
Our Hotel and Restaurant Management Team at the 2018 Awards Dinner for 2017
Summit Receives the Prestigious
Partnership Circle Award from Marriott
May, 2017
Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd. was honored to receive the Marriott Partnership Circle award in May, 2017. This award recognizes franchise companies for their support of Marriott and the company's embodiment of the Marriott philosophy of outstanding customer service and brand excellence.
Summit's management knows that this award would not be possible without the excellent work of all of our associates that are on the front lines everyday, making sure to exceed our guest's expectations in every way.
Two Residence Inns and Guest Room Renovations
July 2016
The renovations of our Residence Inn Chapel Hill and Residence Inn Raleigh Crabtree guest suites are complete.
The Residence Inn by Marriott brand recognizes the different needs of long stay guests, and is uniquely suited to serve this significant market segment.
Hotels offer spacious suites that are designed for longer stays with separate living and sleeping areas so you can work and relax. From fully equipped kitchens and grocery delivery to complimentary hot breakfast and free Wi-Fi, guests will have everything they need to thrive on the road.
Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown | Opening 2017
May 2016
When the Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown opens next year, visitors will enjoy a prime location next to the Raleigh Convention Center and Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.
And to whet your appetite - here are a couple of great links to explore and enjoy Downtown Raleigh
MARRIOTT'S
PARTNERSHIP CIRCLE AWARD
January 2016
The Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown
Groundbreaking Ceremony
December, 2015
FROM THE TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL
After several years of negotiations, delays and redesigns, Raleigh hotel management group Summit Hospitality Group is planning a ceremonial groundbreaking event on Jan. 7 for its new $30 million Residence Inn by Marriott in downtown Raleigh.
The 10-story building project is slated to add 175 hotel guest rooms to the downtown Raleigh hotel inventory when it opens in early 2017. Construction crews have already cordoned off the site and started staging equipment.
Read: Hotel study: Downtown Raleigh needs at least 400 more hotel rooms
The new Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown will be adjacent to the city-owned Lenoir Street parking deck at the intersection Lenoir and Salisbury streets, across from the Raleigh Convention Center.
In addition to the extra inventory of guest rooms, the new hotel is also expected to feature a rooftop bar lounge and street-level restaurant and retail spaces.
Summit Hospitality owns and operates 18 hotel and restaurant properties in the Triangle, Charlotte, Pinehurst and Wilmington.
