Subdude Posted May 18, 2007 Author Share Posted May 18, 2007 Wow! Welcome to HAIF and thanks for the tip! I sure hope that is true. I love this building and hate seeing it a shell. It just seems surprising that Omni would want to buy in. I thought there was a lot of excess hotel room capacity, but maybe things have been tightening up with the strong economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanthony1977 Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Thanks Friend,I grew up in Houston and just came back after living in San Diego for the past 5 years. I handle the business travel market for Hilton (Doubletree). Downtown Houston is booming with business right now with Deloitte moving from 3 Allen to Heritage and getting 3 times bigger. The Hyatt, Doubletree are undergoing renovations. What we are hearing is that Omni will not have to do abatement on that building since it is asbestos free.What it looks like so far is that the structure will remain and undergo major renovations. Thanks for the great pics from the brochure. I never kew that used to be a Sheraton.Wow! Welcome to HAIF and thanks for the tip! I sure hope that is true. I love this building and hate seeing it a shell. It just seems surprising that Omni would want to buy in. I thought there was a lot of excess hotel room capacity, but maybe things have been tightening up with the strong economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted May 19, 2007 Author Share Posted May 19, 2007 The asbestos abatement took place a few years ago when it was planned to become an annex to the Hyatt. Let's hope this works out - several redevelopment plans for the Sheraton have fallen through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanthony1977 Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 If I hear anything else I will definitely keep you posted. I even asked my parents who grew up in Houston and they could not ever remember that hotel. It must have not been open for that long. It was such a big hotel for downtown at that time.The asbestos abatement took place a few years ago when it was planned to become an annex to the Hyatt. Let's hope this works out - several redevelopment plans for the Sheraton have fallen through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted June 9, 2007 Author Share Posted June 9, 2007 I work for the Doubletree Downtown in Sales, we heard in a meeting yesterday that the former Sheraton-Lincoln was just purchased by Dallas based Omni Hotels and should become the next hotel to hit downtown Houston.Sounds like you were right! According to the current print edition of the Houston Business Journal, the Sheraton building is being sold "to an unidentified buyer who has plans for new hotel rooms, residential units or a combination of both. This was in an article about Brookfield buying Total Plaza next door. The spokesman compares it to what was done with the old Whitehall Hotel. I hope it comes through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanthony1977 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Yeah! I hope that is true, but on the other hand working for Doubletree I don't want the competition. I'm pretty sure it's going to be an Omni or perhaps a Starwood product, Sheraton, Westin etc. I was told that when that hotel was originally built the rooms to meeting space ratio was bad, so they had a hard time selling the hotel to conventions. I also heard that the celing height in the guest rooms was really low. I'm sure whoever takes it over will fix that.Sounds like you were right! According to the current print edition of the Houston Business Journal, the Sheraton building is being sold "to an unidentified buyer who has plans for new hotel rooms, residential units or a combination of both. This was in an article about Brookfield buying Total Plaza next door. The spokesman compares it to what was done with the old Whitehall Hotel. I hope it comes through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 The ceiling height in the hotel section of the building is lower than in what were the floors for offices. The change in floor height is noticeable from the exterior. Unfortunately there's not a lot that can be done about that by new owners. That also makes sense that the meeting space was limited, since the meeting areas were only in the horizontal block at the base. The other reason this has proved a difficult building to redevelop is the very narrow plan in the upper floors, which limits floor plan options and room sizes. If the Hyatt had gone through with it's redevelopment the lack of meeting areas would not have been a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfinley Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 It's nice to know that Houston's downtown isn't as empty as Dallas's downtown! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disastro Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 It's nice to know that Houston's downtown isn't as empty as Dallas's downtown!Does anyone know the story on the Sheraton Lincoln? Someone should either buy the place, refurbish it and turn it into condos or it should meet the wrecking ball...I work downtown, and that place looks like it's on the verge of collapse. Two other buildings downtown should be converted into condos as well -- the old Holiday Inn Hotel and another (don't know the name) across the elevated that some morons are spray painting with graffitti...These three buildings are an eye sore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsatx Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Anyone have any recent pics of the Sheraton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsatx Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Wanted to bump this up and see if anyone has any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsatx Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Wanted to bump this up and see if anyone has any.Is the building and the drive thru area still there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disastro Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 Is the building and the drive thru area still there?The drive through area is still there and the parking garage still functions as a parking garage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northbeaumont Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Sounds like you were right! According to the current print edition of the Houston Business Journal, the Sheraton building is being sold "to an unidentified buyer who has plans for new hotel rooms, residential units or a combination of both. This was in an article about Brookfield buying Total Plaza next door. The spokesman compares it to what was done with the old Whitehall Hotel. I hope it comes through.Is that the same company in Dallas that purchased the Warwick Hotel in Houston? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxmulder Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 http://houstonist.com/2007/07/25/new_life_for_do.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsatx Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Will have to check the place out I will be Houston this weekend and want to see what the place looks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Will have to check the place out I will be Houston this weekend and want to see what the place looks like.Pack a hazmat suit if going near. Just kidding...asbestos comments from above.It really needs to be razed and started over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsatx Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 I will drive by the sheraton and that's it, is the whole building still there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EatSleepMOD Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 http://houstonist.com/2007/07/25/new_life_for_do.php AWESOME!! Great info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted July 28, 2007 Author Share Posted July 28, 2007 This is really great news. I hope they make an effort to preserve some of the mid-century touches, like the fountain in the porte-cochere, but I'm not hoping for much. I'm glad the Houstonist credits HAIF! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisngrod Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 I was at the Hyatt and remember there was parking at the old Sheraton. I decided to use the Hyatt's valet parking though. That was earlier this month.http://www.google.com/maps?q=717+Polk+St,+...mp;t=k&z=19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsatx Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Just got in from Houston and walked around the building and was amazed that it has sat empty for so long, glad something is being worked out on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northbeaumont Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Just got in from Houston and walked around the building and was amazed that it has sat empty for so long, glad something is being worked out on it.Yes, in most cases when a building is left vacant, homeless people usually break into it, making it to where nobody wants to buy or lease it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsatx Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 I had seen that building so many times and never thought it was that hotel, it amazing how that has been vacant for so long and no movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matth1231 Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 Ahh, I work at Hyatt and I've heard rumors about this for a while. (It was addressed at our state of the Hotel address) Alot of the employees park there, everyone calls it the ghetto garage. They re-routed the traffic so you enter from Louisiana instead of Milam so the valet could easily access cars there and drive them quickly to the Hyatt. If you park there you'll notice that there are the orriginal signs telling you to go one way and small cheep signs recently placed telling you to go the opposite. If you've never parked their before its really confusing. If you take the elevator, which I only advise you taking if you are extremely exhausted, there is a metal serial number for the elevator with Sheraton's logo. I never really understood the building though because when you get to the ground floor there is an unusually small elevator bank (for a hotel) and I never understood how it was encorporated with the hotel lobby. It makes sense now, this must have been the elevator bank for the offices. There is an emergency exit door that I then take to get to the street. Usually I spook someone who is sleeping on the ground when I exit.If anyone is REALLY curious, the parking attendant usually goes off duty around 10 am, so you can drive in and look. I'm not positive that this is the schedule but thats just what I've observed. If you want to enter the garage from the street you walk in the vehicle entrance and WALK down the ramp. There is no other way down. Its really ghetto, and will require alot of work.As far as demand, downtown can probably support another large hotel. It's not uncommon, especially in the fall, for the Hyatt and Hilton to be completely booked. I'm not sure about other properties.FYI - The Hyatt Regency Downtown is about to undergo a 35 million dollar renovation. Every room will be renovated, which is BADLY needed. There are some rooms that still have carpet in the bathroom! Every room is going to have plasma televisions, Hyatt grand beds, contemporary furnature, wood appointments. Lobby, restaurants, and bar totally redone. This is all starting in November. Its really exciting to be downtown right now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted August 10, 2007 Author Share Posted August 10, 2007 The elevators serving the hotel floors opened into the lobby. You are correct that the small elevator lobby was only for the office floors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 I hope they never remove the piano/music in that lobby, this is what gives the Hyatt real class! The word ghetto is so popular these days. I swear its in almost every forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 FYI - The Hyatt Regency Downtown is about to undergo a 35 million dollar renovation. Every room will be renovated, which is BADLY needed. There are some rooms that still have carpet in the bathroom! Every room is going to have plasma televisions, Hyatt grand beds, contemporary furnature, wood appointments. Lobby, restaurants, and bar totally redone. This is all starting in November. Its really exciting to be downtown right now!I heard about the renovation occuring a few days ago and it seems timely. One customer complained that the $230+ room should be charged for the quality of a $150 room. His hasn't been the only one that I've heard that complaint about. But I was under the impression that the renovations had already started, doing two floors at a time. What are they planning on doing to the exterior? I saw them taking some serious measurements over the past couple of months and again within the past few weeks. Currently, the Four Seasons is undergoing a major Renovation as well. They're doing it in a odd way, they closed half of their rooms.A few of us are debating as to who was doing it better, cost-effective way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northbeaumont Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 I heard about the renovation occuring a few days ago and it seems timely. One customer complained that the $230+ room should be charged for the quality of a $150 room. His hasn't been the only one that I've heard that complaint about. But I was under the impression that the renovations had already started, doing two floors at a time. What are they planning on doing to the exterior? I saw them taking some serious measurements over the past couple of months and again within the past few weeks. Currently, the Four Seasons is undergoing a major Renovation as well. They're doing it in a odd way, they closed half of their rooms.A few of us are debating as to who was doing it better, cost-effective way.I don't have a major credit card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover, etc.). Sometime I plan to stay one night at the Hyatt Regency or some other hotel. When I go to check in, will the desk clerk call the police if I hand him/her cash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTG Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 The drive through area is still there and the parking garage still functions as a parking garage...Construction is scheduled to start early 08. It will be an Omni Hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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