Allegiance Realty Corp. of Charlotte, NC bought the Interstate 35-fronting hotels, one to the north at 2540 Meacham Blvd. and the other to the south at 100 Alta Mesa E. Blvd. in May 2005 to reposition them for corporate travel and leisure segments. Changing the flag for the first time in the hotels' histories was always part of the plan. John Fuller, Allegiance's corporate sales director, says the initial plan was to retain the Holiday Inn name on the North Fort Worth hotel, but then the strategy changed as he reviewed a field of prospects that included Doubletree, Four Points and Radisson. At the end of the day, the Radisson brand was inked with a 10-year contract, he tells GlobeSt.com.
The unveiling of the new name, set to take place around April 15, has involved upgrades of hard and soft goods, restaurants and lounges and meeting space to incorporate 12,000 sf of full-service conference area. "It was an invasive renovation," Fuller says, adding the hotels were able to remain open during their full-body makeovers.
Fuller says a grand opening is being planned for June. Prism Hotels Management Co. in Dallas, the properties' long-time manager, was kept in place for the twins, developed as cutting-edge product for its generation by the Springfield, MO-based John Q. Hammons Hotels. If Fuller's correct, he's lowering the last Holiday Inn flags in the Fort Worth market in the full-service line.
Fuller says the renovation will put him in a niche to "compete very closely with the Downtown properties." The ballpark room rates will range from $99 to $139 per night, a mid-range level that he believes is being overlooked by the hotel owners as they race to produce boutique and luxury product. "We're thinking strategically that we'll be in the sweet spot for the corporate traveler who wants a full-service hotel and a cocktail lounge," Fuller says.
Fort Worth is Allegiance's first stop in Texas, but Fuller hopes it's not the last. "We're always looking," he says, "and I like the I-35 corridor."
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