"We've had a long and proud association with this hotel that has spanned close to three decades," according to Marriott International, the operator of the hotel. "The decision to make a change at the Denver Marriott Southeast is a difficult one and influenced by a number of factors. In short, without a major investment and renovation by the owners, the hotel will not meet the expectations and standards of our customers and the Marriott brand."
The Marriott name comes down with the expiration of a management agreement Sept. 3.
The company goes on to say this is an individual business decision, affecting only this hotel "and does not diminish our commitment to the Denver market, which includes 35 Marriott hotels."
The 11-story, 595-room hotel, is owned by Hotel Marriott, a separate company from Marriott International.
The land is owned by the local White and Gaiser families, which are linked by marriage.
Rick White, a member of the family, tells GlobeSt.com that he would love to keep Marriott the operator. But if that is not possible, he says he is in the early stages of looking for alternative uses for the land, including a senior, assisted living center or a New Urbanism-style retail and residential development.
"This is an awesome site," he tells GlobeSt.com, noting it will be four blocks from a light rail station along the T-Rex highway project along I-25. However, it means crossing the busy Hampden Avenue to get to the station.
White's grandfather, Robert Gaiser, and an uncle, initially inked the deal to bring the hotel to the site, he says.
"I believe that the first Marriotts west of the Mississippi opened in 1974 in Los Angeles and Denver," White says.
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