The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
LaMalfa to invest millions in hotel reno
Facility now part of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Martin LaMalfa has been fielding some questions since a new sign went up in front of his banquet hall and hotel facility on Heisley Road in Mentor.
“Did the LaMalfa family sell out?” and “Are they still true to their brand?” are among them.
“I think there is a misconception, possibly, of where we’ve been and where we’re going,” he said.
He was referring to the center’s transition away from Holiday Inn Express to Wingate, of the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
conglomerate.
He said his facility now is not only part of the “biggest hotel franchise in the world” — 9,000 hotels and 20 hotel brands in 80 countries — but he also is preparing to pour $2 million into renovating accommodations.
That is in contrast to the $4 million required to make upgrades required by the rebranding plans of Holiday Inn Express, said Marty Kirincic a hotel consultant who has worked with LaMalfa for years.
The renovations are to begin within the month. All 83 guest rooms will be remodeled, as will the lobby and breakfast bar.
The flag change isn’t the only news at LaMalfa. A bridal showroom is opening in the party center next month, and events to welcome the public have been initiated. They include a happy hour, begun in April, and offering $10 pool passes to non-guests on Saturdays and Sundays.
The party center opened in 1989 and the hotel in 1998. In 2005, an indoor pool and 18 extended-stay suites were added.
“Our concept is unique because we have a full-service banquet hall connected to a mid-level franchise hotel,” LaMalfa said.
The family business dates to 1963, when Martin’s parents opened Vine Beverage in Willowick. It evolved into a catering business elsewhere in the 1970s and the first party center was opened in Eastlake in 1974.
Today, the center hosts more than 100 weddings, 70 fundraisers and 300 corporate events annually, serving about 1,200 guests weekly.
“In Mentor, LaMalfa has always been a name associated with high-quality service and facilities,” Mentor Economic Development Director Kevin Malecek said. “And the family’s continued investment at this time will ensure those standards will continue into the future.”