Holiday Inn Being Bought By Private Investor; Conference Center to Receive Upgrades
Decatur Metro | February 21, 2011 | 3:04 pmAccording to an item on tomorrow night’s City Commission meeting agenda (see pg. 13 of the materials), Decatur’s Holiday Inn on Clairemont Road is being sold to a private investor. As part of the sale agreement, the new company “needs a long-term lease to operate the Conference Center and a long-term agreement for parking services.”
The city is recommending that the city allow the Decatur Downtown Development Authority to sub-lease their interest in the Conference Center and associated parking deck to the new owner. In return for this, the hotel’s new owner will make “significant capital improvements…that are needed to update and modernize the facility.”
And before anyone asks, I’m checking with the city on whether the Holiday Inn is just changing ownership or whether it will become a new/different hotel.
It’s about time!!!! That place is a dump, particularly for the price. Decatur needs a good hotel. We’ve sent out of town guests to the Holiday Inn Express on N. Decatur Rd for years until recently when one of their cars was broken into. HI Express had the audacity to tell my father-in-law that the back parking lot, which is the only area left to park if you come in after 8pm, is not monitored with surveillance and they have regular break-ins in that part of the lot. They don’t even warn their guests. They just say, “yeah…that’s a problem back there.” Hopefully, a hotel chain besides Holiday Inn will take over. Thanks for posting this.
Wife and were just talking yesterday about how we wished it were an HGI
Amen Giffney!
Have you actually been in a room? I found the Holiday Inn Decatur to be surprisingly nice and updated–it is the opposite of a “dump”. I can’t speak to the conference center, but the actual hotel rooms are nice for the price and the staff great. And if you look on tripadvisor.com, which is full of picky reviewers, it has an overall positive rating. Ironically, the last review posted says: “Terrific conference facilities at a reasonable price!”. I’m glad someone is investing in the property to make it even better.
I have been both in a room and in the conference facilities. The room was very nice. The conference part was so-so.
My limited understanding of the hotel business is that the name franchise is for a limited period (generally five years), and that in order to have the franchise re-instated, the hotel must receive significant upgrades and maintenance. This is one of the techniques the franchisors (like Holiday Inn) can maintain their reputation and so we don’t say that the Holiday Inn in Ann Arbor is a dump, so all Holiday Inns must be the same.
My (again limited) understanding is that often these upgrades are cost prohibitive to current owners, and so often coincide with the sale to new and financially liquid investors.
As a result, I expect that a new investor will be necessary for the location to remain a Holiday Inn (rather than a cheaper brand hotel or a no-name hotel), and if it is to remain a Holiday Inn, there would need to be significant improvements.
Concur with Giffney. Believe it or not, the Super 8 on Church Street is better run and in better shape. Unless you can book a room in one of our nice but sparse B-n-Bs, it and the Holiday Inn are the only choices within walking distance of the square. Rather a shame. You’d think someone would partner with Agnes Scott to provide an alternative. Can’t imagine but that parents of students there and at Emory would support it …
FEw years ago, my brother checked into the Super 8 and was so uncomfortable, he checked out and went home….to KANSAS. Conversely, my family stayed at the Holiday Inn last year and enjoyed it.
Perhaps the Super 8 has improved. I hate to malign a business, since I didn’t stay there.
But my family was not disgusted by Holiday Inn.
My parents stayed at the Super 8 a few months back and had a pleasant experience. I think they paid around $65/night which is crazy talk.
I should have noted that price plays into my evaluation. The Super 8 is certainly no worse than the Holiday Inn and the price is far more in line with what you get.
Oh come on. You don’t get the spacious pool, elegant gift shop, 5-star restaurant, and great views of the lobby.
My only experience with the Holiday Inn was attending the Old House Fair there last spring (going again in March). The conference area seemed perfectly nice to me, if rather unremarkable. I’ve never thought of the hotel as particularly run down or anything, but always nice to have an upgrade.
I have stayed at the Holiday Inn and agree it is a dump, especially for the price. I travel frequently and can say it is not nearly as nice as several lower priced competitors in other cities such as Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites or even other Holiday Inns. It is a below average hotel and is less than what Decatur needs. A nice hotel would help drive Decatur as a destination spot – great square with restaurants and pubs, quick Marta access and a good hotel to stay at.