Grand Hotel upgrade moves ahead

Downtown facility will be converted to Hilton Double Tree.

The Dayton Grand Hotel, located downtown at Third and Ludlow streets, will undergo complete renovations this year and convert to a Double Tree by Hilton, the hotel’s general manager said.

The upgrades, estimated between $3 million to $5 million, are top to bottom for the 120-year-old hotel, including changes to the rooms, bedding, hallways, pool, lobby and fitness area, hotel general manager Eric Minshall said.

In 2013, hotel officials announced similar plans for renovations but the repairs did not take place.

Downtown Dayton Partnership president Sandy Gudorf said her organization is excited to see the renovations being finalized.

“The property renovations have been delayed because the hotel has been in transition the last couple of of years. It’s now under strong management and we are very pleased everything is now moving forward,” Gudorf said.

Owners Sun Development and Hotel Capital, both based in Indianapolis, will share in the cost of the Hilton-approved upgrades to the 184 room hotel.

“Becoming a branded hotel is everything. With business travelers taking advantage of rewards points, and the perks that come along with using the family of Hilton Hotels, it makes a huge difference in our business,” Minshall said.

The Dayton Grand Hotel originally became a Double Tree hotel in 2013. The shift was short-lived, with the owners returning it to a private hotel, and business suffered, according to Minshall.

“In an eight-month stretch after going back to being independent, the hotel lost 80 percent of its business,” Minshall said.

The hotel will remain open during the overhaul, which is expected to be completed at the end of this year.

“It’s like the rise of the phoenix,” said Minshall. “We are looking forward to being a major contributor to the city of Dayton and the region.”