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PROPOSED: Hotel on Market St.


HartfordTycoon

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I tried to get a room in the Marriott this week and the hotel was totally sold out.

I'm sure the demand is there for this new, small hotel. I think I'm going to this public meeting on the 23rd. I'll report back with any details. I imagine it will be a high quality boutique, but that is only speculation on my part.

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OK so I am editing this post because I am "special"

I thought the planning office was far away but its actually just a block away. so I am going to go check out the plans they submitted.

As for 8 stories. In the world of construction 8 stories is a cost/price barrier. I think it has a great deal to do with elevator costs and speeds they travel at, as well as fire codes. Now I am sure these things vary greatly by city, but there has to be a reason most buildings are built in increments of 8 floors, 12-14 floors, ~20floors 30-35floors. The elevators required for the building code are much more expensive above certain heights and other zoning set backs.

Also looking at the location from satalite, it looks like a fairly narrow lot. I am sure that there are zoning set back that limit height.

All that being said, 8 stories is tall for that part of the city, and every thing above the first or 2nd floor will have nice river views.

also, It would be nice if this project took advantage of the pedestrian bridge over 91 that exists due east of the address. Boutique hotel with water view, and easy access to the riverwalk. not too shabby Hartford.

now, someone go to the planners office and look at those plans.

I will report back later :)

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Just got back from the planning department.

Time to curb your excitement.

Its a Best Western.

No kidding. It looks like one of those pre fab ones that go up near highways in suburbia close to malls.

The rooms start on the 3rd floor.

The 2nd floor is almost entirely meeting space. it surrounds 2nd floor of the lobby

the lobby is 2 stories obviously, and the rest of the first floor is staff area, offices and such. There is a swimming pool, no hot tub, and I did not see any kind of bar or resturant.

Come to think of it I did not look for one. But there has to be some kind of food/drink area.

I took a picture on my cell phone of the Facade, but really it looks like every other Best Western.

Now about hotel room demand... I would love to see that Mariott do its expansion to 700 rooms. They say that many conventions need 500 rooms+, and it should help lure more conventions to the area. To me, this would be the best thing possible for Hartford.

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Just got back from the planning department.

Time to curb your excitement.

Its a Best Western.

No kidding. It looks like one of those pre fab ones that go up near highways in suburbia close to malls.

The rooms start on the 3rd floor.

The 2nd floor is almost entirely meeting space. it surrounds 2nd floor of the lobby

the lobby is 2 stories obviously, and the rest of the first floor is staff area, offices and such. There is a swimming pool, no hot tub, and I did not see any kind of bar or resturant.

Come to think of it I did not look for one. But there has to be some kind of food/drink area.

I took a picture on my cell phone of the Facade, but really it looks like every other Best Western.

Now about hotel room demand... I would love to see that Mariott do its expansion to 700 rooms. They say that many conventions need 500 rooms+, and it should help lure more conventions to the area. To me, this would be the best thing possible for Hartford.

That's disapointing that it's not going to be more upscale. I guess we can use all the rooms we can get though and these should be more affordable alternatives to what's currently downtown.

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Now about hotel room demand... I would love to see that Mariott do its expansion to 700 rooms. They say that many conventions need 500 rooms+, and it should help lure more conventions to the area. To me, this would be the best thing possible for Hartford.

Not gonna happen until Perez is out of office. He busted their balls to the point that they will sit on their hands and do nothing rather than deal with his nonsense. Even if Mayor Mike had no power, he was the best cheerleader this city has ever had, Perez is the EXACT opposite, he has all the power, but fumbles his way into destroying the city.

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Best Western makes sense, especially right off the highway at the intersection of 91 & 84. That would be a terrible location for a small upscale hotel.

I did notice that a Homewood Suites sign is up on the north wall of the Bond Hotel.

I agree now that I think about it and I really did not know the exact location when I created the post. Progress is good. So all in all we will now have The Marriott, The Hilton, The Goodwin, The Crowne Plaza, Residence Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Homewood Suites, and now a Best Western all Downtown. That is much better than 10 or even 5 years ago.

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I am actually suprised by the lack of a Sheraton downtown. Yes I know there is the one in across the river, but It seems that if the City continues to creep forward Sheraton would want a presence. They usually have visable downtown locations.

Sheraton was downtown for years, it is now the Hilton....

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I don't know why Front St. doesn't try to recruit a small boutique hotel with a trendy restaurant/bar on the ground floor. It would be a perfect fit... it puts another badly needed hotel at the convention center, and it puts hotel customers in the middle of a (hopefully) vibrant part of downtown while adding to the Front St. entertainment scene.

Downtown isn't that big, so even if there isn't a convention, business travelers would use the hotel as well. Not everyone wants the cookie cutter hotel experience.

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Just got back from the planning department.

Time to curb your excitement.

Its a Best Western.

No kidding. It looks like one of those pre fab ones that go up near highways in suburbia close to malls.

The rooms start on the 3rd floor.

The 2nd floor is almost entirely meeting space. it surrounds 2nd floor of the lobby

the lobby is 2 stories obviously, and the rest of the first floor is staff area, offices and such. There is a swimming pool, no hot tub, and I did not see any kind of bar or resturant.

Come to think of it I did not look for one. But there has to be some kind of food/drink area.

I took a picture on my cell phone of the Facade, but really it looks like every other Best Western.

Did you get to see how this hotel fits into the area?

Does it front up to Market Street?

What is the parking situation?

What about the riverfront connection?

Now about hotel room demand... I would love to see that Mariott do its expansion to 700 rooms. They say that many conventions need 500 rooms+, and it should help lure more conventions to the area. To me, this would be the best thing possible for Hartford.

Instead of the Marriott expansion, I would like to see a hotel built at Prospect and Front streets.............possibly incorporating the "Times building" into the lobby. If the CCC proves to be successful, perhaps there would be enough of a demand for both.

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Did you get to see how this hotel fits into the area?

Does it front up to Market Street?

What is the parking situation?

What about the riverfront connection?

Instead of the Marriott expansion, I would like to see a hotel built at Prospect and Front streets.............possibly incorporating the "Times building" into the lobby. If the CCC proves to be successful, perhaps there would be enough of a demand for both.

Yes I actually ment to add those details as well.

If you look at a satalite on Google Maps or something like that you will notice that peaquot rd is the northern boarder of the properrty and was also designated as the delivery truck access point. At its end Peaquot curves North and there is a line of greenery that heads south from there. This is the eastern boarder of the property.

Along Market Street there are 4 existing buildings on this "block". The 2 northern ones will be destroyed to make room for the hotel and parking. The 2 southern buildings are unaffected and are not part of the property.

It does front Market street, but you know hotels, they surround themselves with a flat parking lot. The Market street entreance was kind of circular with a drop off area, and handicapped parking as well as an area for their courtesy van. the hotel appears as a rectangle from the front, but on the back there is a single floor area for the pool on the Peaquot Av side.

Zoning required something like 46 parking spots, but they provided 76 IIRC, 15 of those as small car sports.

As far as a riverfront connection... :(

As stated it looks like the Eastern boarder of the property is that line of greenery seen from satalite. So this means any pedestrian access to the park would be across that barren area that currently exists.

Maybe someone who has put their eyes on that area at ground level could give better info, but it looks a little forboding, and not likely to attract interest from hotel guests.

looking at the area I would hope that this might spur the owners of the rest of this block to do something with those single story buildings remaining.

So much potential up there in the North end

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  • 1 month later...

Just got back from the planning department.

Time to curb your excitement.

Its a Best Western.

No kidding. It looks like one of those pre fab ones that go up near highways in suburbia close to malls.

The rooms start on the 3rd floor.

The 2nd floor is almost entirely meeting space. it surrounds 2nd floor of the lobby

the lobby is 2 stories obviously, and the rest of the first floor is staff area, offices and such. There is a swimming pool, no hot tub, and I did not see any kind of bar or resturant.

Come to think of it I did not look for one. But there has to be some kind of food/drink area.

I took a picture on my cell phone of the Facade, but really it looks like every other Best Western.

Now about hotel room demand... I would love to see that Mariott do its expansion to 700 rooms. They say that many conventions need 500 rooms+, and it should help lure more conventions to the area. To me, this would be the best thing possible for Hartford.

Ugg!!!! That's to bad......

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Why is that too bad. That is good location for a Best Western, just outside of downtown, near the highway. The rooms are less expensive than the Hilton or Homewood or Holiday Inn or Marriott. It is the kind of alternative that every city needs. It fills a niche.

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Why is that too bad. That is good location for a Best Western, just outside of downtown, near the highway. The rooms are less expensive than the Hilton or Homewood or Holiday Inn or Marriott. It is the kind of alternative that every city needs. It fills a niche.

I very much agree with you on this. I was disapointed when I went down and saw the plans, but thats because I had visions of sugal plumbs dancing in my head. The only real dissapointment for me is that it does not interact with the street very well, and the lot stops very far from the highway, so it will not be enticing for guests to cross the highway(existing pedestrian bridge) and enjoy the park.

It will be a nice alternative to what is downtown, but it will still be downtown. Kind of a piece of suburbia on the downtown fringe.

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  • 1 month later...

I think this project can be set to IN-PROGRESS

I drove by the site a few times yesterday to get my car looked over at the dealerships up North. The buildings are demolished completely. there are piles of dirt all over the site. I am not sure if actual construction has begun as it is hard to tell, but the project has clearly begun.

I also want to add that the property just north of the hotel is a kind of sketchy gas station. thats kind of a shame.

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I think this project can be set to IN-PROGRESS

I drove by the site a few times yesterday to get my car looked over at the dealerships up North. The buildings are demolished completely. there are piles of dirt all over the site. I am not sure if actual construction has begun as it is hard to tell, but the project has clearly begun.

I also want to add that the property just north of the hotel is a kind of sketchy gas station. thats kind of a shame.

That gas station is run down, but doesn't attract any real problems, IMO. I think it will be convenient for the guests more than a problem though but it certainly would be nice if it got a makeover. It is Citgo, maybe Hugo can foot the bill. :rolleyes:

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