Name change
Downtown Renaissance Hotel flag set to travel one block east
The Renaissance Hotel flag is set to travel one block east as the former host is turned into a Wyndham Grand and the new Renaissance in Bricktown nears completion.
The Renaissance name was removed from the 22-yearold hotel over the holidays, and it is listed online as Wyndham Grand and t he same name is used by desk clerks. The change coincides with the hotel losing its status as the city's convention hotel.
Rex Ams l er, general manager of the former Renaissance, declined an interview, but ina statemen the confirmed it was being rebranded as the city's
first full-service Wyndham Grand.
“Our guests can continue to expect refined accommodations and attentive service in relaxed surroundings as we transition to a Wyndham Grand, and t hey will al so benefit from Wyndham' s award-winning loyalty program,” Amsler said.
The 311- room former Renaissance was developed and opened by the late John Q. Ham mon in 1998 at a time when downtown was left with the Sheraton as the only open hotel.
Eager to revive the city's convention business, the city council provided $7 million toward the hotel's construction, connected it by sky walk to the expanded Cox Convention Center, and provided Hammons with a 20-year exclusive catering contract f or banquet and meeting rooms at the city venue.
Downtown Oklahoma City revived by the 1993 Metropolitan Area Projects and ensuing investments, is now home to 17 hotels with a new 605-room Omni and new Oklahoma City Convention Center opening this month.
The contract with the old Renaissance ended last year, the Cox center was closed and converted into Prairie Surf Studio, and a new hotel is set to take away the Renaissance flag.
Ams l er acknowledged changes are coming to his hotel.
“Like the hospitality industry overall, our North Broadway location hotel continues to be devastated by the global pandemic and its impact on travel and events,” Amsler said. “With our hotel' s appealing location, we' re seeing a trend toward smaller gatherings in our on-site meeting space and hosting leisure travelers and individual guests wanting to get out and explore downtown OKC and the Bricktown Entertainment District.”
As the Wyndham Grand signs go up at 10 N Broadway, signs are set to go up soon at Sheridan and Oklahoma avenue sin Brick town. The 10- story ,182- room new Renaissance will be Bricktown's first full- service hotel when it opens this summer.
It is being built by Tulsa hotelier Andy Patel, who last year opened the five-story, 133-room Fairfield Inn at 10 SW 4 immediately south of the new convention center.
“We' re about 60% completed, the roof is on, the exterior glass is going in and the framing is 95% complete ,” Pa tel said .“We have brick going up outside, and the drywall is going in on the top floors.”
The new Renaissance will include a full-service restaurant and full bar on the ground level with an entrance facing Sheridan Avenue while the hotel lobby entry will f ace Oklahoma Avenue.
“This will be a higher end restaurant and bar, not just a regular hotel restaurant and bar,” Patel said. “It will be a destination for outsiders, not just guests.”
The hotel also will have a fitness center and a 3,000- square-foot ballroom.
Pa tel admits hotels are struggling in the midst of the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 impact is huge in our industry,” Patel said .“I' m optimistic that eventually it will be all right. It will be tough in the beginning. We feel strong about being the first full- service hotel in Bricktown.”
Staff writer Steve Lackmeyer is a 30-year reporter, columnist and author who covers downtown Oklahoma City and related urban development for The Oklahoman. Contact him at slackmeyer@oklahoman.com. Please support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a subscription today at http://oklahoman.com/subscribe.