A decade ago downtown had one hotel. When the Hampton Inn opens in Bricktown later this year, we’ll have seven. Add to that the Holiday Inn Express that will be built at Oklahoma and Main and you have eight. And oh, by the way, for those of you who have seen my mentions of more hotels lining up, yep, the Candlewood Inn announced today is one I’ve been tracking, and yeah, that makes the count nine.
Here’s the betting line on what’s still in the works, based on various players I’ve talked to:
Odds of No. 10: 90 percent.
Odds of No. 11: 75 percent.
Odds of No. 12: 60 percent.
Odds of No. 13: 50 percent.
Odds of No 14: 10 percent.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:48 am
You’re such a tease.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I’m giving as much as I can here!
June 19th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I know. I keed.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Can you divulge which one would be the most significant addition to DT?
June 21st, 2008 at 9:34 am
What time period are those odds based around?
Would any of those be a new convention hotel tied to MAPS 3?
Might any of those be tied in with the Devon project?
June 21st, 2008 at 10:34 am
1. Within the next year, some within weeks.
2. No.
3. No.
June 21st, 2008 at 10:35 am
Andrew, I really can’t say that any of them are game changers for downtown.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:57 am
All hotels are game changers at this point, we’re reaching for as much as we can chew.
Thanks for clarifying on whether or not any of these you’ve given probabilities for are tied to the upcoming convention center project.
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:38 am
That’s very interesting, thanks Steve. I have a friend that works for RH and I know they have an option on a piece of property on the canal that they’re considering building a hotel project on.
June 22nd, 2008 at 8:43 am
When you say they aren’t really game changers, do you mean they aren’t really top shelf names i.e Hyatt, Westin, etc.?
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Well, really I guess it all depends on your view of the world. Do you believe a Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn or a Candlewood Inn, all hotels with 150 rooms or less, and limited service, helps move downtown OKC to a tier 2 status in light of the current room count? Or does OKC need higher end conference brands with room counts of 600 or more to continue moving forward?
June 22nd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I definetly feel they need the higher end conference brands. I’m also a little surprised The Gaylord hasn’t pursued a conference hotel, being local and all. Maybe when the Sonics locate here, a conference hotel will be in the works, but I would think whatever brand is looking to build, they would want to be up and running by the time the Sonics do get here.
June 22nd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Steve, one more question, do any of the new hotels include building on the river?
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Oh please. The Gaylords only make their money here. They invest it in Nashville, Dallas, and Colorado Springs.
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I kind of hope that these particular hotels don’t get a prime riverside spot. I’d love to see a 5-star resort hotel on the river, maybe even with its own boathouse.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Jason, don’t forget who Clay Bennett is married to. He just made a MAJOR investment for OKC, when he bought the Sonics.