Re: Hyatt Place
Getting an upgrade: Bricktown committee receives changes to planned Hyatt exterior
By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record November 12, 2015 0
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Bricktown Urban Design Committee approved with a requested change in the plans for the Hyatt Place Hotel, which will start construction in 2016’s first quarter.
The committee had concerns about the building’s exterior being prominently exterior insulation and finishing system – better known as EIFS – rather than brick. EIFS is simulated stucco that creates a smooth appearance.
City planner Michael Philbrick said the hotel on Bricktown’s east side is near a planned project on the south side of E. Sheridan Avenue that has already used a lot of EIFS, and he doesn’t think that trend should continue. A committee member said the building’s exterior may be 20 to 25 percent brick.
Architect and committee member Omar Khoury suggested that ADG Inc. architect J.C. Witcher incorporate more bricks or capstone into the window trim. The group approved the plan with the expected change.
The Hyatt Place would add 132 rooms to downtown, an area that is still seeing strong room demand, said Mike Carrier, president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. He said the downtown market has maintained more than 70 percent occupancy rates for the past two years, with a 19-percent increase in demand over the last year and a 17-percent increase in supply. He tracks the rates in Oklahoma City proper.
“There’s still more demand coming in here in the downtown area,” he said.
Nationwide, the luxury, upper upscale, and upscale hotels have maintained the highest occupancy rates for the past two years, according to data from the STR hotel analysts. The occupancy rates have been 74.9 percent to 76.5 percent in those property types.
But those hotels are few and far between in the city. Carrier said getting those higher-end brands in Oklahoma City is a constant push. The 21c Museum Hotel under construction at the Fred Jones building will help fill that gap. The Skirvin Hilton Hotel and the Waterford Marriott, which will soon relaunch as a Waterford Renaissance, are considered luxury hotels.
“When you see those levels of hotels are exceeding 70 percent and some of the other hotels are down in the 50 to 65 percent (range), those (high-end hotels) are the hotels that people are looking for,” he said. “We’re already looking at trying to build more luxury hotels.”
Around the city, the year-to-date occupancy rate is 64.5 percent, at an average daily rate of $86.75. The entire metro area has a 63.9 percent occupancy. Central area hotels have an occupancy of 73.2 percent.
“In the industry, performance in excess of 60 percent is considered to be positive, so overall we are still in positive territory for the city and the metro area,” he said.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Pryor Tiger
Re: Hyatt Place
Bookmarks