Omni Hotel/Convention Center hotel/24 stories/800 rooms/complete

[producer2]

While I think there are good points in the article, gathering your local knowledge from someone who already owns two full service hotels downtown and probably does not want the competition is not the most even reporting.

[samsonh]

While I think there are good points in the article, gathering your local knowledge from someone who already owns two full service hotels downtown and probably does not want the competition is not the most even reporting.

 

But gathering knowledge from someone who is highly involved in the industry is probably better reporting than asking a pure observer. It is tough to dispute any of the facts he said about room rates and occupancy levels.

[Justiceham]

"People (looking) at staying in Nashville may say, 'We don’t really want to pay $240 or $250 dollars a night when Opryland is selling rooms at $130 or $140,'" Bloom said.

 

So as a tourist, businessman, or conventioner, I would rather go through the hassel or renting a car, riding a taxi, and sit in gridlock for every meeting I have downtown? We've gotten the opinions of the developer and someone who is highly involved in the industry. How about the consumer's perspective?

 

Public financing will be a difficult task, however, and $20 million is really not enough for the type of hotel the city wants. I imagined something like this for Nashville:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JW_Marriott_Indianapolis

[MLBrumby]

I'm afraid I didn't understand the reference to Opryland hotel putting a cap on rates downtown.  I thought the whole point to building the Music City Center was to create/differentiate the downtown convention market from the suburban "resort" market.

 

Producer2 makes a good point.  I know that Mr. Bloom has spoken out against tax breaks for what would be his competition. So no doubt, he's hardly an objective opinion.  While it's good to get his view, it should not be the sole focus of the analysis behind this piece.  In other words, I wouldn't use Bloom's opinion as the basis as to why 4-star hotels are not proposed.  The writer makes the point that the economy is one reason (and I would agree with his logic there), but I would venture that 4-star hotel developers have reached a point where they actually expect cities to give out incentives, no matter how attractive the city for new convention/tourist business.

[barakat]

Speaking of Indianapolis, I wonder what was required to get all those high-end hotels right beside their convention center.

 

http://www.ibj.com/hotels-spark-expansion-of-downtown-skywalk-system/PARAMS/article/15789

Edited January 23, 2013 by barakat

[producer2]

Indy has several more full service hotels downtown than Nashville does. Marriott and JW Marriott, Westin, Omni, and the Hyatt are just a few. The ankle biters are not a bad thing, just not everything you need to be as successful as possible. Part of the issue is not having enough corporate business downtown. That would help the ROI of developers considering building here.

Edited January 24, 2013 by producer2

[captainwjm]

Just curious, but does any other city our size have an Opryland-type convention center outside of the downtown area, and still have a vibrant downtown convention business including multiple high-end hotels?  I'm wondereing if the Opryland draw is a factor in downtown not having what Indianapolis, for example, has?

[Hey_Hey]

Just curious, but does any other city our size have an Opryland-type convention center outside of the downtown area, and still have a vibrant downtown convention business including multiple high-end hotels?  I'm wondereing if the Opryland draw is a factor in downtown not having what Indianapolis, for example, has?

There aren't many cities anywhere in the world with a hotel like Opryland. It's the 28th largest hotel in the world, and the third largest hotel in the US when excluding the Vegas resorts. A Disney Hotel and Hilton Hawaiian Village are bigger. Just that fact alone puts Nashville in a unique situation. It does harm the downtown market some too because Opryland is such a unique place to stay that it overshadows sleekness and luxury found in some of the downtown hotels. And in all honesty, if I were going to just spend the night in a hotel in Nashville as a resident, I probably wouldn't choose the Omni or a JW Marriott. I would consider the Union Station hotel, the Hermitage, and Opryland..........and probably go with Opryland because its cheaper and still provides a very unique and cool experience.

[timmay143]

Just curious, but does any other city our size have an Opryland-type convention center outside of the downtown area, and still have a vibrant downtown convention business including multiple high-end hotels?  I'm wondereing if the Opryland draw is a factor in downtown not having what Indianapolis, for example, has?

Although I got sick and couldn't attend this year's, AIAA has some sort of contract for one of its annual conferences with Gaylord because last year's was here, this year was Grapevine, TX (Ft. Worth-Dallas), and next year's is in DCs Gaylord complex.  Now I am not sure how big they are, but I do know Grapevine is a "suburb" (I guess it is considered that) and about 10-15 min away from the airport.

 

EDIT:  Whoops nm, the airport is right next to it, so it must have been 10-15 min from Ft. Worth or Dallas, similar to our Opryland and airport.  I guess Grapevine is like Donelson/Hermitage?

[producer2]

All the Gaylord properties qualify. They are not as big as Opryland but still in the 1500 and up room size. They are all outside of the main City (in fact Opryland is the only one in the same county) and they all have multiple other hotels in their general vicinity.all of those cities are considered convention cities.

Edited January 24, 2013 by producer2

[timmay143]

Thanks p2.  Was checking out Grapevine on Google.  They have Grapevine Mills and everything.  Just about exact.  Also noticed the abundance of other hotels.

[NashRugger]

East crane for the CMHOF was taken down on Saturday and the west crane for the Omni is coming down this weekend through at least tomorrow.

[Beat02]

Figured I'd put this in here. Bridgestone Arena to invest 7 million for a facelift for a new entrance on the south side of the arena, to compliment the new convention center. What I want to know is what you can do back there that would take 7 million.

 

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130124/NEWS01/130124013/Bridgestone-Arena-renovations-would-total-7-million

Edited February 18, 2013 by Beat02

[chris holman]

The Omni Hotel. Sign is now on the face of the building! Nice

[e-dub]

pardon the digital zoom on my mobile, but here it is:

eric b

[dmillsphoto]

Hey Eric - I'd recognize a shot from Crema anywhere!

[e-dub]

you are correct. i love that place; there is no other place in our fair city i'd rather give my money to!

eric b

[Guest 5th & Main Urbanite]

Since this project is almost completed and the crane has come down, what does everyone think of the signage? 

[UTgrad09]

 

For reference.

 

 

I think it looks pretty sharp. It's obviously no architectural masterpiece, but the glass at the top makes it work. The signage is subtle. I like it.

[BnaBreaker]

She's definitely growing on me.  Great shot.

[Neigeville]

I give it a B.  Too wide and boxy, but I think it looks great from views that emphasize the glass; I went by during a recent sunset and it was really picking up the colors.  On the East side they overdid it with the concrete.  It could be much worse. The signage is good, if a bit too small for my taste but it's an elegant hotel so what'd'you expect. 

 

From the street, it's hard to say, until it's completely finished and the restaurants are active it's hard to tell.  I was disappointed with the Pinnacle at the street level until that Steak/Oyster place opened up; now it keeps that corner hopping (and slows traffic with its valet parking).  Once the MCC is up and running the area should be lively, hopefully the restaurant signage will be fairly visible.

[bwithers1]

I like the glass and the signage. 

 

One thing that I do not like is that concrete wall along the eastern end of the block along KVB.  That concrete just gets cut off and hangs suspended in mid-air which to me looks terrible.  At least they could have put some kind of simple masonry skirting band or something there so that you know that the concrete was SUPPOSED to end there.  That's a minor quibble, I know, but it makes the think look incomplete from a pedestrian standpoint.

 

Unless it is incomplete and some such final detail will be added. 

[FromParkAveToTN]

Disappointing.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130321/NEWS01/303210054/Music-City-Center-s-final-design-reduced-retail-tweaked-plans

[UTgrad09]

Disappointing.

 

 

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130321/NEWS01/303210054/Music-City-Center-s-final-design-reduced-retail-tweaked-plans

I would certainly like to see more retail...and I am disappointed that they scaled it back as much as they did. I think it's a missed opportunity, as hotel and residential projects continue to sprout up in SoBro, more retail needs to be built to support them...and this would be a great spot. Sure, they could renovate the space in the future to accommodate retail...but that side of the building isn't as attractive and inviting as the original plans called for.

I understand the deal about cutting some costs...but wouldn't 40,000 sq ft of retail provide a good bit of rent for the building?

[FromParkAveToTN]

"I understand the deal about cutting some costs...but wouldn't 40,000 sq ft of retail provide a good bit of rent for the building?"

 

I was thinking the exact same thing. I would have loved to be able to shop and dine there. I was hoping for sidewalk dinning where I could look fabulous in my Jackie Onassis sun glasses and people watching while sipping on a bucket of wine.