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Double Tree (Former Executive Inn & Suites) at 72 and I 80

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130327/M" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... re-weekend

The Omaha Executive Inn & Suites on the southwest corner of 72nd and Grover Streets has officially changed ownership and is closed for remodeling

Robert Pagan, a Rapid City, S.D.-based developer, said the 118,000-square-foot hotel is to reopen in August under a different major brand yet to be announced.

A nearly $6 million transformation plan calls for about 180 guest rooms, more convention space, a bigger outdoor pool and fire pit area, a remodeled lounge and restaurant and a sleek modern exterior.

Photos from ACV2

wow, that's the old Howard Johnson?

Brad wrote:wow, that's the old Howard Johnson?

Correct!


Great change for the area!

Based on the styles shown, it looks a lot like an Element hotel (Starwood brand) I've stayed at before (although the graphic shows 'Four Points', which is another Starwood hotel brand).

icejammer wrote:Based on the styles shown, it looks a lot like an Element hotel (Starwood brand) I've stayed at before (although the graphic shows 'Four Points', which is another Starwood hotel brand).

Yea i think it could be one of the following:

Element by Starwood
Aloft by Starwood
Home2Suites by Hilton
Hyatt House by Hyatt
Park Inn by Radisson

According to Grow Omaha, this will be a Double Tree.

Brad wrote:According to Grow Omaha, this will be a Double Tree.

Stand to reason that their current one on 72nd ell be empty then? Hope someone can maybe puta lower brand in to keep the building in use.

Edit: just needed to check the rumors!

iamjacobm wrote:
Stand to reason that their current one on 72nd ell be empty then?  Hope someone can maybe puta lower brand in to keep the building in use.

Check out the Rumors Section!

Brad wrote:

iamjacobm wrote:
Stand to reason that their current one on 72nd ell be empty then?  Hope someone can maybe puta lower brand in to keep the building in use.

Check out the Rumors Section!

http://eomahaforums.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15955" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Noticed the signage was up on the building. Haven't been by here in a few weeks so I am not sure when they got it up, but maybe they are getting close to opening.

skinzfan23 wrote:Noticed the signage was up on the building.  Haven't been by here in a few weeks so I am not sure when they got it up, but maybe they are getting close to opening.

signage has been up about 2 weeks. The hotel is scheduled to open in July - based on their website

Omaha_Gabe wrote:

skinzfan23 wrote:Noticed the signage was up on the building.  Haven't been by here in a few weeks so I am not sure when they got it up, but maybe they are getting close to opening.

signage has been up about 2 weeks. The hotel is scheduled to open in July - based on their website

I will concur, the sign has been up a couple weeks.

Brad wrote:

Omaha_Gabe wrote:

skinzfan23 wrote:Noticed the signage was up on the building.  Haven't been by here in a few weeks so I am not sure when they got it up, but maybe they are getting close to opening.

signage has been up about 2 weeks. The hotel is scheduled to open in July - based on their website

I will concur, the sign has been up a couple weeks.

I dislike the look at nigh.. The sign does not actually light up. There is minimal up lighting and doesn't show clearly

Omaha_Gabe wrote:I dislike the look at nigh.. The sign does not actually light up. There is minimal up lighting and doesn't show clearly

I was thinking that the sign will be illuminated at night time. They probably haven't turned it on yet since the hotel isn't open.

Looks like they will be getting a new restaurant here, Double Tree by Hilton Restaurant, 8000+ sq. ft.

I was wondering what happened...

http://www.omaha.com/money/major-omaha- ... a5dfd.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Janice Podsada / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Robert Pagan, in charge of the $20 million renovation of the DoubleTree hotel at 3650 S. 72nd St., said he believes the labor shortage played a part in delaying the hotel’s reopening by six months.

One contractor told Pagan that he fell behind schedule after several employees left his company to work on the Google project for reportedly higher pay.

Coyote wrote:Looks like they will be getting a new restaurant here, Double Tree by Hilton Restaurant, 8000+ sq. ft.

Is this what I going up just north if the building right now? Saw stew beams going up.

Coyote wrote:Saw stew beams going up.

Beef or Pork?

Brad wrote:

Coyote wrote:Saw stew beams going up.

Beef or Pork?

Coyotes makin me hungry.

Linkin5 wrote:

Brad wrote:

Coyote wrote:Saw stew beams going up.

Beef or Pork?

Coyotes makin me hungry.

Wow, my cell phone auto correct changed something there...

I saw some beams going up on the north side of the building a few hours ago.

In case you missed the conversation we had on the Facebook page while the Russian Attack was going on...
The Perkins across the street got Carlos O'Kelly'd:

Wow, I drive by here at least once and week and noticed that something looked different, but didn't realize that it closed. I am pretty sure it is not going to take long to fill that space with something though, judging how its right off the interstate and so near so many hotels.

Why is this in the Double Tree thread?

Oops... Forgot to post here, the hotel opened on April 2nd.

Rates for Berkshire start at about $325

http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels ... index.html

By the way. The sign is lit up at night now that the hotel is finally open. It looks pretty nice overall.

I drove by this place yesterday and saw all signs of DoubleTree removed....and is no longer found on the Hilton app.

Anyone know what happened? I could not find anything.

swinquest wrote:I drove by this place yesterday and saw all signs of DoubleTree removed....and is no longer found on the Hilton app.

Anyone know what happened? I could not find anything.

I just drove by it also and noticed all of the lettering was off the hotel. I called and they said they are a Holiday Inn now.

I called there to make a reservation and after several transfers I finally an oriental lady telling me Hilton can no longer book that hotel.

Coyote wrote:I called there to make a reservation and after several transfers I finally an oriental lady telling me Hilton can no longer book that hotel.

How many changes have they gone through? At least three I think since I have been here (15 years).

swinquest wrote:

Coyote wrote:I called there to make a reservation and after several transfers I finally an oriental lady telling me Hilton can no longer book that hotel.

How many changes have they gone through? At least three I think since I have been here (15 years).

Wasn't that a Howard Johnson's back in the days, then a Holiday Inn, then Executive Inn and Suites?

Coyote wrote:

swinquest wrote:

Coyote wrote:I called there to make a reservation and after several transfers I finally an oriental lady telling me Hilton can no longer book that hotel.

How many changes have they gone through? At least three I think since I have been here (15 years).

Wasn't that a Howard Johnson's back in the days, then a Holiday Inn, then Executive Inn and Suites?

Back in the day, in the 80s, it was a Howard Johnsons, owned by the Seldin Companies. They also owned the Sheraton at 120th and L (where the Playboy Club was. The Playboy Club was a last gasp at profitability), and hotels in Des Moines and Wichita.

Here's the deal with 72nd and Grover and also 108th & L. In the 70s & 80s those two areas were pretty much the epicenter of lodging in Omaha. Downtown had the Red Lion and that was pretty much it. There was also the New Tower. But really and especially with Aksarben racing 72nd and Grover was huge. Tons of hotel rooms and most were state of the art. Ramada, Holiday Inn, Howard Johnsons, The hotel that had the Shark Club whose name I can't remember, Super 8 and a few others. That's a lot of rooms.

On L street you had the Sheraton at 120th, the Best Western Omaha Inn, the Rodeway, Super 8, Hampton, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn and Motel 6 at and near 108th. Also a ton of rooms.

The matrix is completely different now and these tired hotels could be too expensive to keep up. You also need ownership that isn't milking the property without spending much. Omaha is a very competitive market right now. Those who don't spend to keep up with suffer the fate of the Sheraton and others.

NovakOmaha wrote:

Coyote wrote:

swinquest wrote:

Coyote wrote:I called there to make a reservation and after several transfers I finally an oriental lady telling me Hilton can no longer book that hotel.

How many changes have they gone through? At least three I think since I have been here (15 years).

Wasn't that a Howard Johnson's back in the days, then a Holiday Inn, then Executive Inn and Suites?

Back in the day, in the 80s, it was a Howard Johnsons, owned by the Seldin Companies. They also owned the Sheraton at 120th and L (where the Playboy Club was. The Playboy Club was a last gasp at profitability), and hotels in Des Moines and Wichita.

Here's the deal with 72nd and Grover and also 108th & L. In the 70s & 80s those two areas were pretty much the epicenter of lodging in Omaha. Downtown had the Red Lion and that was pretty much it. There was also the New Tower. But really and especially with Aksarben racing 72nd and Grover was huge. Tons of hotel rooms and most were state of the art. Ramada, Holiday Inn, Howard Johnsons, The hotel that had the Shark Club whose name I can't remember, Super 8 and a few others. That's a lot of rooms.

On L street you had the Sheraton at 120th, the Best Western Omaha Inn, the Rodeway, Super 8, Hampton, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn and Motel 6 at and near 108th. Also a ton of rooms.

The matrix is completely different now and these tired hotels could be too expensive to keep up. You also need ownership that isn't milking the property without spending much. Omaha is a very competitive market right now. Those who don't spend to keep up with suffer the fate of the Sheraton and others.

I also noticed the other day that there are For Sale signs on the former Holiday Inn/Ramada Inn/Hotel RL. For both the tower & the original building.

It is now a Holiday Inn again.

NovakOmaha wrote:

Coyote wrote:

swinquest wrote:

Coyote wrote:I called there to make a reservation and after several transfers I finally an oriental lady telling me Hilton can no longer book that hotel.

How many changes have they gone through? At least three I think since I have been here (15 years).

Wasn't that a Howard Johnson's back in the days, then a Holiday Inn, then Executive Inn and Suites?

Back in the day, in the 80s, it was a Howard Johnsons, owned by the Seldin Companies. They also owned the Sheraton at 120th and L (where the Playboy Club was. The Playboy Club was a last gasp at profitability), and hotels in Des Moines and Wichita.

Here's the deal with 72nd and Grover and also 108th & L. In the 70s & 80s those two areas were pretty much the epicenter of lodging in Omaha. Downtown had the Red Lion and that was pretty much it. There was also the New Tower. But really and especially with Aksarben racing 72nd and Grover was huge. Tons of hotel rooms and most were state of the art. Ramada, Holiday Inn, Howard Johnsons, The hotel that had the Shark Club whose name I can't remember, Super 8 and a few others. That's a lot of rooms.

On L street you had the Sheraton at 120th, the Best Western Omaha Inn, the Rodeway, Super 8, Hampton, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn and Motel 6 at and near 108th. Also a ton of rooms.

The matrix is completely different now and these tired hotels could be too expensive to keep up. You also need ownership that isn't milking the property without spending much. Omaha is a very competitive market right now. Those who don't spend to keep up with suffer the fate of the Sheraton and others.

They also built a big chunk of their business on racing at Ak Sar Ben. The 72nd corridor got so much out of town business during racing season. When that went away that whole area changed. Think about the row of restaurants and hotels in that area.

Greg

Greg S wrote:

They also built a big chunk of their business on racing at Ak Sar Ben. The 72nd corridor got so much out of town business during racing season. When that went away that whole area changed. Think about the row of restaurants and hotels in that area.

Greg

In the 70s & 80s hotels in Omaha could arguably make their year between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It was more than the 72nd Street properties. At times there wasn't a room to be had between just west of Des Moines and Lincoln and usually rooms in Lincoln were hard to find. Summer travel on I-80 was big anyway and with Aksarben the only racing game in the central US hotels in Omaha could count on being full or close to it during the summer months. Prior to Minneapolis and Kansas City having horse tracks Aksarben on average would have 30 or so busses with out of state plates on weekends and quite a few during the week.

Then there was a perfect storm. Council Bluffs dog track, Kansas City and Minneapolis and even Des Moines to an extent provided horse racing and took gamblers away from Aksarben, the Indian Casinos in Iowa at the beginning and then the casinos in Council Bluffs, all contributed to the death of Aksarben. There actually was a short period where video slots were in Nebraska. They went crazy until the usual suspects conspired to close them down. It is still my contention that had Aksarben been allowed to open a casino it would still be open today. In the 70s & 80s Aksarben was one of the top 10 tracks in the country and was a regular stop on a circuit around the country. The top horses came to Aksarben over the summer. I also place blame on the leaders of the day for A) not seeing it coming, B) not reacting at all to competition, C) not being creative in coming up with solutions, D) allowing Aksarben to fail. Aksarben brought millions, tens of millions to Omaha. Charitable contributions from Aksarben benefitted organizations on both sides of the river. With very few exceptions and those exceptions are small amounts contributions from Iowa West stay on the Iowa side of the river. That's their right but Aksarben worked differently.

Is Aksarben better now with the development? Perhaps. UNO has certainly benefitted from the land available. It's a great development but the point is that the track, the coliseum and the rest could still be functioning had the situation been handled differently.

How do I know all this? Between 1980 and 1992 I owned 4 lodging properties in Omaha and Council Bluffs.

I grew up on 68th near Elmwood and Ak Sar Ben. Worked as a bus boy at Kenny's on 72nd and Dodge (now where Do Space is).

The influence of the race track definitely helped properties outside of 72nd.

But the ones we are talking about on 72nd pretty much existed and were built with it in mind.That corridor dramatically changed during racing season. Traffic, restaurants and hotels. It wasn't just by car. So many bus loads especially on the weekends during the summer.

Greg

Coyote wrote:It is now a Holiday Inn again.

Holiday Inn monument sign is up, but still nothing on the building facing I80.

Apparently this is back to being a DoubleTree. Holiday Inn signage came down last week and Double Tree signage was back up on the East side as of yesterday afternoon. Website says "coming soon", I played around w/ the reservations and appears first rooms will be available on the 13th.

Strange how it keeps going back and forth between Holiday inn express and Doubletree. I think the 6 story hotel across the street on east side of 72nd is vacant. It had a fire a few years back.

Cermak wrote: ↑Tue Nov 05, 2019 7:10 am Strange how it keeps going back and forth between Holiday inn express and Doubletree. I think the 6 story hotel across the street on east side of 72nd is vacant. It had a fire a few years back.

The fire was within the past year.