Quote:
Originally Posted by L'homard
Well, there's a brand new hotel on Highfield opening shortly, and right across the street from that, another hotel that has recently been gutted and rebuilt inside. Not sure why all the hate on this site for the poor Crowne just because it hasn't redone its cladding in recent years.
But I get your point.
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Well, I didn't really mean to impugn the
Hilton Garden Inn, or even the
Crowne Plaza, but the
Hyatt Place almost looks as if it were intended to be part of the downtown arena complex the way it sits next to the plaza in front of the Avenir Centre. Combine that with first rate amenities and the in-hotel
Carrabba's restaurant, and that's a tough combination to beat.
The Hilton Garden Inn also is brand new, and just a short walk from the arena, and likely has superior parking (underground), so it is a worthy competitor. I fully realize that the Crowne Plaza has been newly renovated as well, but the dated exterior cladding is an issue and makes the hotel appear less attractive. In particular, the podium and the retail CRUs facing Main Street need to be completely redone to freshen up the appearance of this building. Of course, it could be that the Aquillini Group is holding off on any radical exterior refurbishment until they decide what to do with the entire block.