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PostApr 03, 2018#26

There was a brief discussion about hotel needs in Soulard a little while back after I made a comment about it, and while I think Airbnb is probably a good fit for now in terms of bringing visitors and providing lodging to the neighborhood, I wonder about it long term as there is starting to be push back from a lot of directions in many cities in terms of how Airbnb usage is taking available long term rentals off the market, pushing up rents, being a detriment to neighbors (particularly in places like Nashville where partying is one of the main draws) and the likely hood of additional municipal regulations beginning to be applied which could alter that business model in the near future.

So I still think the right Soulard area hotel would be a big plus for the neighborhood and probably a nice development for a hotel operator. The Broadway Truck facility on 7th just north of Soulard Market had a fire in the past year and I'm not sure if they are fixing it, but it doesn't appear anything is happening right now, I wonder if that site would make a good hotel location, highly visible from freeway, decent exit/entrance ramp access, close to downtown but still walking distance to Soulard amenities. I would have to think that could have some legs if the parcel was available?

Or potentially the city owned lot just east of the Soulard Market Lofts, maybe there would be a way to buy that from the city and put a nice boutique hotel there, and preserve some of the market parking as well? Just some thoughts for discussion or for any would be hotel developers who might peruse this site...
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PostApr 04, 2018#27

St. Louis City Center Hotel to become Hotel RL
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ ... 9ae09.html

don't know anything about that brand but this looks like it could be neat...

"The hotel will incorporate the Hotel RL's signature performance venue, "The Living Stage." RL Hotels says the concept provides "a platform for local musicians, poets, authors, artists, community leaders and activists to share their message live and up close."
So the RL Hotel brand is the "upper" crust brand for Red Lion Hotels. The Red Lion brand is big in the Pacific Northwest and some California but have now spread across the country in the past few years from coast to coast in a huge push to get their branding nationwide. The hotel system has been Red Lion for almost 3 decades out west... but never left the west coast really. They are larger full service hotels with just average reviews and accommodations. I have stayed in many... and average is perfect word for them. They want to be more upscale... but don't make the cut every time I stay at one. Read any RL Hotel/Red lIon reviews.
The St. Louis City Center Hotels reviews are miserable after the Sheraton flag was pulled and such a beautiful property at one time. So, that being said ... RL should make it more "average" now.

PostApr 04, 2018#28

A little more about the RL / Red Lion brand. They bought Vantage corporation a few years ago to expand their profile. That being said, FYI. Vantage was a company with crap hotels in their fold.... Americas Best Value Inns, Signature Inns, Vantage Inns, Country Heart and other regional crappy bad reviewed motels across the country. Why Red Lion decided to expand with those brands is besides me but may have expanded their Red lIon name. That being said... the entire RL/Red Lion corporation is just a bit shady in my book.
They were suppose to convert the old closed up DoubleTree/Comfort Inn/Airport Inn hotel at 9600 Natural Bridge at the airport to a RL Hotel concept and the franchise company and RL never completed the project.
The company that owns the two worse rates hotels in downtown STL is called Inner Circle out of Florida. All of their hotels in their profile are crap. They run them as "upscale" and you stay in a dump. They own the former Crowne Plaza Dowtown on 4th they branded as "City Place" and the signs are still just banners over the old CP signs and the place is 28 stories of mismanaged grossness and falling apart. The former Sheraton STL City Center was bought by them and now is the same way with the creative name "STL City Center Hotel". These two gross classic huge properties downtown are just pitiful and sad from their grandeur just a few years ago after Inner Circle acquired them. Now Red Lions is investing its name with this type of company and property reputation.
Sad huh?

Line them up... all crap hotels now and will be marginally better with the RL name for sure.
https://www.hotelbusiness.com/rlh-corp- ... ise-deals/


Companies like Inner Circle Investments are sleazier than sleazy. There literally are four people in the company in Ormond Beach Florida and the main guy is Joe Gillespie. He has been in more law suits and cases against him personally and his company than you can count. He borrows millions of dollars up against his properties to buy more properties but does not improve on the properties and fails to pay the hotels bills too...mostly to the cities they are in. He is an turn and burn investment shark that drains the properties and lives lavishly and is surrounded by law cronies, under the table deals and pay outs. His own profile on his investment company refers to him as "Mr. Gillespie" never by simply "Gillespie" or any other way. Pospass. Anyway, Red Lion is shady too... and they sealed 10 hotels with this sleazy investor. They also made Gillespie sign a 20 year franchise term... absolutely unheard of in the hospitality industry, and made him pay a 20,000 non refundable deposit. They may be doing this on a sign of caution on their part. His hotel requirements and income levels at the properties with the franchise company is quite extensive in monies and terms if broken by Gillespie before the 20 years. Gillespie couldn't care less.... he's drained all the other 100 some properties he owns and paid them and will do so if he breaks the contract or simply sue RL for some other breach to get out. He's an absolute slime bucket.

Look at this article 2 years ago.... in Appleton WI .... where one of the hotels that will be flipped to Red Lion next month by Inner Circles:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.postcr ... p/82757862

Just Google this guy. :oops: :twisted: :shock: :? :mrgreen:
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PostApr 04, 2018#29

matguy70 wrote: ↑
Apr 04, 2018
 Companies like Inner Circle Investments are sleazier than sleazy. There literally are four people in the company in Ormond Beach Florida and the main guy is Joe Gillespie. He has been in more law suits and cases against him personally and his company than you can count. He borrows millions of dollars up against his properties to buy more properties but does not improve on the properties and fails to pay the hotels bills too...mostly to the cities they are in. He is an turn and burn investment shark that drains the properties and lives lavishly and is surrounded by law cronies, under the table deals and pay outs. His own profile on his investment company refers to him as "Mr. Gillespie" never by simply "Gillespie" or any other way. Pospass. Anyway, Red Lion is shady too... and they sealed 10 hotels with this sleazy investor. They also made Gillespie sign a 20 year franchise term... absolutely unheard of in the hospitality industry, and made him pay a 20,000 non refundable deposit. They may be doing this on a sign of caution on their part. His hotel requirements and income levels at the properties with the franchise company is quite extensive in monies and terms if broken by Gillespie before the 20 years. Gillespie couldn't care less.... he's drained all the other 100 some properties he owns and paid them and will do so if he breaks the contract or simply sue RL for some other breach to get out. He's an absolute slime bucket.

Look at this article 2 years ago.... in Appleton WI .... where one of the hotels that will be flipped to Red Lion next month by Inner Circles:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.postcr ... p/82757862

Just Google this guy. :oops: :twisted: :shock: :? :mrgreen:
Sounds like he might have a presidential run in him.
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PostJul 31, 2018#30

Hotel roundup:

https://fox2now.com/2018/07/27/hotel-co ... nventions/
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PostAug 01, 2018#31

In addition, 800 new apartments will be available at the old Chemical Building and Railway Exchange on 7th and Olive, right next to Hotel St. Louis.
Are things moving for both of these now? I thought Chemical had a permit for rezoning at least. Haven't been down in a while to see if things were moving along. RRX I thought was still locked up in financing struggles. Slightly off-topic, but mentioned in the article.
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PostAug 01, 2018#32

Local TV news always seems the most clueless of all.

"And nobody knows what's going on!" Huh?

Also, "the first hotel built in the city in 15 years?" Does he just consider downtown to be the city? Also, it's not being built it's a renovation. So confusing.
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PostAug 01, 2018#33

^ I commented on Twitter that the expert who said nobody knows about all the hotel construction going on now apparently forgot about all the hotel construction that already occurred within the past decade or so.

Four Seasons and Embassy Suites downtown, Ignacio and Residence Inn in Midtown, Moonrise in the East Loop and a couple Hamptons are among the new hotels (new as in a hotel property truly new to the market as opposed to a rebrand or restoration of vacant hotel property) that have opened in the city within the past 15 years.

^^ I think both the Railway and Chemical are still in the hoping stage.
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PostAug 01, 2018#34

Like the time the Business Journal wrote that 212 S Meramec was the first new apartment high-rise in the St. Louis metro area in 30 years?
And I'm not opposed to them saying that the hotel is being "built". If it was already a hotel and they were renovating it, then I'd be pickier about it.
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PostAug 01, 2018#35

STLrainbow wrote: ↑
Aug 01, 2018
 ^^ I think both the Railway and Chemical are still in the hoping stage.
Was wondering when reading the article if it was typical filler material and or if any real new info behind those projects.

PostAug 17, 2018#36

Update on proposed Jefferson hotel within PD article on tax credit awards for Twain Financial new offices as it is expressed as part of bigger plan for the area. Not sure if anything new but Jefferson Ave seems like a lot of potentional for west downtown when you consider a rebuilt I64 interchange and Wells Fargo Security to the south of proposed hotel and new NGA to the north.

https://www.stltoday.com/business/local ... 0ab13.html

Johnson has partnered with ND Consulting and Twain Financial on the project as well as two Tulsa, Okla., companies, Ross Group and Nelson + Stowe Development, for the hotel and Boxyard development, respectively.

He’s finalizing his loans for the project, which he said was “well on its way.” Renaissance Development has closed on purchases of several buildings as part of the project and has six more under contract, according to a city report.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring on the hotel and Boxyard, with openings on developments slated through 2021.

The $60 million plan for the area will fill in an area and help connect the Gateway Arch “all the way to Clayton” with contiguous development, Johnson said.
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PostNov 16, 2018#37

Haven't seen it posted yet but last month it was announced that a timeshare company is buying 6 floors of the old Crown Plaza building.. This is the building where the new hotel owners (who also own the old Sheraton) planned on converting a good portion of the property to small apartments before changing their mind.

I guess this will have the impact of freeing up some demand for other downtown hotels in the lower end of the market while adding a new type of product (I think).
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PostNov 16, 2018#38

STLrainbow wrote: ↑
Nov 16, 2018
 Haven't seen it posted yet but last month it was announced that a timeshare company is buying 6 floors of the old Crown Plaza building.
As in a company like Wyndham? As in people would use their timeshare points to vacation in STL? Not trying to demean STL's tourism by any means, this is actually really cool. They just usually target places like Branson. Plus that hotel is... not great, embarrassing actually. Hopefully this means that improvements are on the way. (Edited: Red Lion did not change ownership, just brands) From walking by, it doesn't seem like Red Lion has really improved the property much. I'll have to look at some recent reviews.

EDIT:
Here's the article if anyone is as interested as I am: https://www.stltoday.com/business/local ... 31db6.html
Also, looks like that this timeshare company already has an arrangement with the Red Lion: https://www.diamondresorts.com/destinat ... ity-Center

I actually like how much the downtown hotel market has been shifting around. With the Millennium closing and the decline of Crowne Plaza and Sheraton, we've gotten renovations of LaSalle, Union Trust, and Intl Shoe. That being said, I'd still really hate to see the demolition of the former Millennium.

PostDec 11, 2018#39

Some downtown hotels updates:
Looks like there is at least some light work going on in the Majestic Hotel (former Omni). There's a construction dumpster at the corner of 11th & Olive and occasionally I'll see some guys tossing things in there from the hotel. It's also nice to see that they're getting occasional use out of the lounge space that faces 11th. I'd like to see a full renovation as mentioned at the beginning of this thread.
Hotel St. Louis will be complete by the end of the month. Will be amazing to see life on Olive again. Haven't walked by LaSalle / Hotel Indigo recently but last I saw, it's progressing nicely. Last Hotel construction is chugging along. Looks like the hotel on the former Harry's site is still going to happen. Has anyone heard anything about Municipal Courts recently? Despite light demolition happening daily inside Jefferson Arms, I'm not holding my breath.
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PostDec 11, 2018#40

I can't wait for Hotel St. Louis. I'm anticipating it being the best in the bunch - maybe the best in all of DT when you factor in the great location.
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PostDec 11, 2018#41

aprice wrote: ↑
Dec 11, 2018
 Some downtown hotels updates:
Looks like there is at least some light work going on in the Majestic Hotel (former Omni). There's a construction dumpster at the corner of 11th & Olive and occasionally I'll see some guys tossing things in there from the hotel. It's also nice to see that they're getting occasional use out of the lounge space that faces 11th. I'd like to see a full renovation as mentioned at the beginning of this thread.
Hotel St. Louis will be complete by the end of the month. Will be amazing to see life on Olive again. Haven't walked by LaSalle / Hotel Indigo recently but last I saw, it's progressing nicely. Last Hotel construction is chugging along. Looks like the hotel on the former Harry's site is still going to happen. Has anyone heard anything about Municipal Courts recently? Despite light demolition happening daily inside Jefferson Arms, I'm not holding my breath.
They seem to be making decent progress on the LaSalle. The entire facade of the small building to the north of it has been removed. I'll be interested to see how that part turns out.
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PostDec 12, 2018#42

Dear all

Article from STL Biz Journal

Alterra Worldwide said its $104 million redevelopment of the Jefferson Arms building in downtown St. Louis will kick off in April.
The Dallas-based developer is planning to turn the historic property into a 200-room Marriott-branded AC Hotel with over 200 single-family apartments and ground-level retail. Alterra aims to wrap up the project by summer 2021, the company said.
Alterra has tapped GHJ Construction, a California-based unit of Beijing Construction Engineering Group, as general contractor and Kwame Building Group as construction manager. A senior lender has not yet been selected, officials said.
Alterra closed on its acquisition of the 13-story, Classical Revival structure in mid-2017. The redevelopment was delayed after the state of Missouri declined to issue it more than $10 million in Brownfield credits this year. The company is in ongoing discussions to have GHJ and its parent company provide the financing, officials said.

St. Louis-based Raineri Construction was attached to the redevelopment but declined to get involved because of Alterra’s past performance and approach, Director of Business Development Tony Raineri said in an email to the Business Journal. Raineri did not respond to a request asking for elaboration.

"Tony is a fine man. He is simply misinformed. I personally would never speak on someone’s back especially after I break bread with them. Am I too naive to expect the same courtesy from others?" Alterra President Mike Sarimsakci told the Business Journal. "Alterra's previous track record speaks for itself. Facts are facts. Rumors are rumors. "

Alterra also invited other St. Louis-area companies to submit a bid for the redevelopment, according to documents obtained by the Business Journal. BSI Constructors, Paric Corp., S.M. Wilson, HBD Construction and Holland Construction declined to do so citing a shortage of workers. S.M. Wilson said it would consider the project under a different contract format.

Because the redevelopment will utilize $17.4 million in tax increment financing (TIF), Alterra has to use at least 25 percent certified minority-owned companies and at least 5 percent certified women-owned businesses. (New rules governing the city’s inclusion mandate have not gone into effect yet.)
Subcontractors have till Jan. 15 to submit bids for various contracts. GHJ officials said they are seeking proposals that offer the best value, not necessarily the lowest price.

GHJ worked with Alterra on a more than $100 million redevelopment of Dallas' Butler Brothers building that features a Marriott dual-branded hotel, office space and a 237-unit multifamily component that Sarimsakci said has 93 percent occupancy. Alterra also selected GHJ for its $150 million, 22-story residential tower in San Jose, California. Separately, GHJ Construction is captaining a roughly $68 million construction of the TMC Intercontinental hotel in Houston.
Industry publication Engineering News-Record listed Beijing Construction Engineering Group among the top 50 contractors in the world with $6 billion in annual revenue, 29 global offices and 2,000 employees. The Chinese company built several venues for the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008.

PostDec 12, 2018#43

aprice wrote: ↑
Dec 11, 2018
 Some downtown hotels updates:
Looks like there is at least some light work going on in the Majestic Hotel (former Omni). There's a construction dumpster at the corner of 11th & Olive and occasionally I'll see some guys tossing things in there from the hotel. It's also nice to see that they're getting occasional use out of the lounge space that faces 11th. I'd like to see a full renovation as mentioned at the beginning of this thread.
Hotel St. Louis will be complete by the end of the month. Will be amazing to see life on Olive again. Haven't walked by LaSalle / Hotel Indigo recently but last I saw, it's progressing nicely. Last Hotel construction is chugging along. Looks like the hotel on the former Harry's site is still going to happen. Has anyone heard anything about Municipal Courts recently? Despite light demolition happening daily inside Jefferson Arms, I'm not holding my breath.
Demolition / Abetment to start Spring 2019. There haven’t been any work done inside or outside the building since July 2017 purchase.
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PostDec 20, 2018#44

I just walked by Hotel Saint Louis and man! is it gorgeous. All bright and sparkly. So cool to see it all lit up and lively. And all along Olive more lights getting ready to be switched on....

Union 30 is the restaurant in the corner. Opened today.

https://twitter.com/705Olive
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PostFeb 19, 2019#45

jstriebel wrote: ↑
Feb 02, 2018
 They're still moving forward with plans to renovate the hotel and restaurant. It will be a Le Meridien by Marriott, and construction is scheduled to begin in the 2nd quarter of this year.
I have no idea who currently owns the Majestic Hotel at 11th & Pine or whether it will be adopted into the brand mentioned above but there has been some steady work going on for the past 4 months or so. There's been guys throwing old trim and doors into construction dumpsters at Olive & 11th. About a month ago, a lot of equipment and materials were stored/placed in the bar-lounge space along 11th. Looking forward to the adoption of a national brand or just a quality local rebranding.

Google Maps reviews mention renovations. And a lot of unexpected cancellations. Still bad reviews for the most part.
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PostMar 30, 2019#46

A few articles with references to hotels. Biz journal Q&A with Bob O'loughlin going with title on why St. Louis needs more hotel rooms. Don't have access to content so not sure if any tidbits to note. In addition, HUD secretary visit on opportunity zone and the note that such newly created funds behind Foundry as well as Midas hotel developments, financing

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... -more.html

https://www.stltoday.com/business/local ... 34fd4.html

Carson also toured the City Foundry in Midtown, a $210 million redevelopment of the former Federal Mogul foundry site. St. Louis Development Corp. Director Otis Williams said City Foundry developer Steve Smith of the Lawrence Group had raised several million dollars in an Opportunity Zone fund to help finance the project.

Other projects in the Midtown area have also announced Opportunity Zone investments recently. This week, Midas Hospitality announced it had raised $35 million in an Opportunity Zone fund from St. Louis investors to help finance two hotel projects it is building: a 129-room Aloft Hotel in the Cortex tech district and a 152-room Element hotel on Forest Park Parkway across from City Foundry.
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PostMar 30, 2019#47

^It's the world's shortest and most underwhelming interview. He doesn't actually say that St. Louis needs more hotel rooms, as it turns out. He says we need more new ones and that older hotels are constantly disappearing. "There’s more than a dozen hotels proposed or under construction in St. Louis. Are you concerned about St. Louis becoming oversaturated? No, not with the Millennium Hotel closing 800 rooms in 2014. There is always older hotels leaving and new ones coming in. Most are limited service, which is a growing segment."

As I recall, when I was working at the old Ramada Inn at the Arch (now the Hampton Inn) we had, oh, maybe a hundred eighty rooms, so the Millennium really did squeeze them in there somehow. (That alone likely explains why it closed.) I won't say he's wrong. Old properties close. New ones open. Some "churn" is doubtless inevitable. (Even beneficial, as you can do a lot more with a completely closed property than one where you renovate a few rooms, or even a wing at a time.) The only problem is when things sit closed long enough significant structural damage sets in, and the overall vacancy rate is slowly declining downtown, so maybe things really aren't oversaturated.
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PostApr 25, 2019#48

I poached the list from Jstriebel and tried to do some updates as well as changed the bucket list into recently completed/construction, newly proposed, and once upon a time or maybe for another day.  Working from downtown west into the Central Corridor with all the various hotel conversations within the different threads.  

Any thoughts?  missing anything?   Not the best list, I didn't look up all the addresses, didn't room counts and kept within the city.  I can add Clayton CBD but don't have a clue off the top of my head on what is proposed at moment or if anything even remotely close to breaking ground such as the AC hotel by Marriott.

Completed, Under construction, demo permit

501 Olive — Conversion of LaSalle Building to Boutique Hotel Indigo
705 Olive — Conversion of Union Trust building to boutique Hotel St. Louis
Ballpark Village — New construction of Live by Loews hotel
1501 Washington — Conversion of International Shoe to Boutique Last Hotel
1019 Pine St — The Hotel Majestic renovated to Le Meridien by Marriott
2144 Market St — New construction of Fairfield Inn and Suites on the site of the old Harry's Restaurant & Bar
634 N Grand — Missouri Theater Building rehab including hotel (still Hotel Angad?)
3763 Forest Park Ave — New construction of Element Hotel by Westin on the site of the old Habitat HQ - Midas Hospitality
Cortex - Phase 3 — New construction of Aloft Hotel - Midas Hospitality

Recently Proposed or still possible in current economic cycle?
Chemical Building - expanded Hotel St. Louis/apartments
Railway Exchange Redevelopment
Shell building proposal
1320 Market — Conversion of Municipal Courts Building to a Hyatt hotel
~2600 Locust St — New construction of EVEN Hotel as part of larger Midtown development
Chouteau - McKay/Lafayette Square hotel  
Chouteau - Iron Hill development/SLU
215 York — New construction of AC Hotel by Marriott

Once upon a time or another economic cycle?
Laclede's Landing - Drury residential/hotel tower
409-415 Tucker — Jefferson Arms including AC Hotel by Marriott
3660 Market — New construction of hotel adjacent to the Armory Building rehab
Drury Kingshighway/FPSE Twin Tower rendering 
Koplar Kingshighway & Lindell Tower
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PostApr 25, 2019#49

dredger wrote: I poached the list from Jstriebel and tried to do some updates as well as changed the bucket list into recently completed/construction, newly proposed, and once upon a time or maybe for another day.  Working from downtown west into the Central Corridor with all the various hotel conversations within the different threads.  

Any thoughts?  missing anything?   Not the best list, I didn't look up all the addresses, didn't room counts and kept within the city.  I can add Clayton CBD but don't have a clue off the top of my head on what is proposed at moment or if anything even remotely close to breaking ground such as the AC hotel by Marriott.

Completed, Under construction, demo permit

501 Olive — Conversion of LaSalle Building to Boutique Hotel Indigo
705 Olive — Conversion of Union Trust building to boutique Hotel St. Louis
Ballpark Village — New construction of Live by Loews hotel
1501 Washington — Conversion of International Shoe to Boutique Last Hotel
1019 Pine St — The Hotel Majestic renovated to Le Meridien by Marriott
2144 Market St — New construction of Fairfield Inn and Suites on the site of the old Harry's Restaurant & Bar
634 N Grand — Missouri Theater Building rehab including hotel (still Hotel Angad?)
3763 Forest Park Ave — New construction of Element Hotel by Westin on the site of the old Habitat HQ - Midas Hospitality
Cortex - Phase 3 — New construction of Aloft Hotel - Midas Hospitality

Recently Proposed or still possible in current economic cycle?
Chemical Building - expanded Hotel St. Louis/apartments
Railway Exchange Redevelopment
Shell building proposal
1320 Market — Conversion of Municipal Courts Building to a Hyatt hotel
~2600 Locust St — New construction of EVEN Hotel as part of larger Midtown development
Chouteau - McKay/Lafayette Square hotel  
Chouteau - Iron Hill development/SLU
215 York — New construction of AC Hotel by Marriott

Once upon a time or another economic cycle?
Laclede's Landing - Drury residential/hotel tower
409-415 Tucker — Jefferson Arms including AC Hotel by Marriott
3660 Market — New construction of hotel adjacent to the Armory Building rehab
Drury Kingshighway/FPSE Twin Tower rendering 
Koplar Kingshighway & Lindell Tower
I would add to the under construction category "The Bowery in Lafayette Square - 1322 Dolman". When I went on a tour there recently, the tour guide said that Citywide Development is in final negotiations with a national short term rental firm to convert the building into an extended stay, 51 room boutique hotel.

PostApr 25, 2019#50

Another hotel is planned. Getting final information.
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