http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=32&articleid=20090602_32_E1_Holida67941
Quote
Downtown hotel sold to become Holiday Inn
by: ROBERT EVATT World Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
6/2/2009 5:30:49 AM
Holiday Inn will soon join downtown Tulsa's hotel brands as it takes over the now-closed Downtown Plaza Hotel.
The 14-story building at Seventh Street and Boulder Avenue has been purchased by OHT IV LLC, a Missouri company, for $6.74 million, Tulsa County land records show.
The hotel closed last week. Signs on the building indicate that it will undergo renovations and conversion into a Holiday Inn, with the work to be finished by this fall.
Renovation workers said the building's representative is Mark Stumm, the chief operating officer of Noble Hospitality Inc. of Kansas City, Mo. He was unavailable for comment Monday.
OHT purchased the building from Chisholm Properties Ltd. of Tulsa, which owned the building less than two years. Chisholm had purchased the hotel, then known as the Great Western Downtown Plaza Hotel, from Rainbow Vegas LP, which had owned it since 1994.
Chisholm rebranded the hotel the Downtown Plaza and began a multimillion-dollar renovation that was continuing when OHT bought the building.
Noble develops and operates many hotels across the Midwest.
The Denver Grill, which moved to the hotel in 2005 after construction of the BOK Center forced it to relocate, closed last year.
Robert Evatt 581-8447
robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com
Hopefully this means faster progress than the previous owner.
Indeed. Hopefully, this one actually happens. IIRC, we were told it was going to become a Marriott Courtyard in one of the prior sales.
Quote from: sgrizzle on June 02, 2009, 10:36:34 AM
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=32&articleid=20090602_32_E1_Holida67941
Hopefully this means faster progress than the previous owner.
Isn't this hotel coming full circle? Wasn't it opened as a Holiday Inn?
It certainly resembles one: an inn that you don't want to stay on Holiday.
They should incorporate the parking lot just east on 7th and add some green space with a pool, bar and restaurant.
Quote from: swake on June 02, 2009, 11:11:54 AM
Isn't this hotel coming full circle? Wasn't it opened as a Holiday Inn?
You are quite correct, I think it opend in the early 70's.
I agree with Swake and DBack, I do believe this was a Holiday Inn once already.
I sure hope they use non-union labor just to make a statement of how douchey the carpenter's union's intimidation tactics are.
Quote from: dbacks fan on June 02, 2009, 11:38:28 AM
You are quite correct, I think it opend in the early 70's.
Yep, it opened as a Holiday Inn from the very beginning and I recall it being a Holiday Inn up to around the mid 1980s. I think it first opened a little earlier, mid-late 1960s. I am suprised the World article didn't mention that it was originally built as a Holiday Inn.
Quote from: Steve on June 03, 2009, 10:02:48 AM
Yep, it opened as a Holiday Inn from the very beginning and I recall it being a Holiday Inn up to around the mid 1980s. I think it first opened a little earlier, mid-late 1960s. I am suprised the World article didn't mention that it was originally built as a Holiday Inn.
Five bucks says the reporter was born not too long before it changed from a Holiday Inn.
Speaking of old hotels, has anything ever been done with the old Sheraton Skyline at I-44 and 41st?
Quote from: dbacks fan on June 03, 2009, 10:15:10 AM
Speaking of old hotels, has anything ever been done with the old Sheraton Skyline at I-44 and 41st?
I think that is the one occupied as TCC's corp offices or 12 & 12, a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility.
Quote from: dbacks fan on June 03, 2009, 10:15:10 AM
Speaking of old hotels, has anything ever been done with the old Sheraton Skyline at I-44 and 41st?
It's right next door to the building that houses TCC and TTC. The old Sheraton has been completely renovated for use as a 12&12 facility. You can still see some of the old Sheraton labelscars on the sign as you exit behind the building.
I remember this being a Holiday Inn when I went to the bank across the street, then the 4th National --early to mid 80s.
I hope Holiday Inn can market this building and fill it, we have had too many attempts ending in failure...Last time I looked at this building most of the rooms had open or broken curtains with half demolished rooms, not to mention the ground floor had spaces filled with insulation, old carpeting and the like.
I think a tiki theme and lounge bar would draw some attention, its style has never been much for drawing the clients who would stay at a place called Downtown Plaza Hotel. It needs hype to stand ground. Give it some greenery and a little fun please!
Quote from: Ihearttacos on June 03, 2009, 10:31:22 AM
I think a tiki theme and lounge bar would draw some attention, its style has never been much for drawing the clients who would stay at a place called Downtown Plaza Hotel. It needs hype to stand ground. Give it some greenery and a little fun please!
Tiki theme? Anyone remember the "Tiki Nook" at the old Trade Winds West?
On topic, I would hope that Holiday Inn can make it work and do it right, and not go glitzy like a lot of the newer botique hotels and then charge outrageous prices. There is an old Holiday Inn in downtown Scottsdale that has now become the Mondrian by Morgan Hotels. During season they charge about $300/night catering to the younger crowd. With the hit the economy has taken, it will be intersting to see how some of these botique hotels do.
Sorry to sound harsh, but I wouldn't recommend anyone stay at that hotel. The hotel itself is not pedestrian friendly and its in a corner of downtown that is completely un-pedestrian friendly and very unattractive. The hotel and everything around it is poorly designed.
Here is the link to Noble Hospitality http://www.noblehospitality.com/welcomefromcn.html (http://www.noblehospitality.com/welcomefromcn.html) They manage several different brands, none of them look to be boutiquey (can I say that, is that an acceptable word?) From their website
QuoteNoble Hospitality, Inc., in its 15 year history, has won numerous national awards including Ramada Franchise Systems Renovation of the Year and Hotel of the Year, Ramada Inn and Days Inn Marketing and Sales of the Year and Country Kitchen Sales Promotion Award. Noble Hospitality also manages Holiday Inn Quality Excellent Award Winners, Ramada Inn President's Award Winners and many Gold Key properties.
In 2005 Noble Hospitality won the 2005 Lodging Hospitality Distinctive Design Award for Interior Hotel Design.
Quote from: TheArtist on June 03, 2009, 02:06:41 PM
Sorry to sound harsh, but I wouldn't recommend anyone stay at that hotel. The hotel itself is not pedestrian friendly and its in a corner of downtown that is completely un-pedestrian friendly and very unattractive. The hotel and everything around it is poorly designed.
At that point on 7th Street, just what Pedestrian traffic are you refeering too?
Quote from: dbacks fan on June 03, 2009, 10:44:33 AM
Tiki theme? Anyone remember the "Tiki Nook" at the old Trade Winds West?
On topic, I would hope that Holiday Inn can make it work and do it right, and not go glitzy like a lot of the newer botique hotels and then charge outrageous prices. There is an old Holiday Inn in downtown Scottsdale that has now become the Mondrian by Morgan Hotels. During season they charge about $300/night catering to the younger crowd. With the hit the economy has taken, it will be intersting to see how some of these botique hotels do.
If it's a Holiday Inn, it will not be glitzy. The two are pretty much mutually exclusive.
Quote from: Vision 2025 on June 03, 2009, 05:01:39 PM
At that point on 7th Street, just what Pedestrian traffic are you refeering too?
Uuuummm exactly.
They need to complete the renewal of Denver and rid it of the blight that is the old Amerada Hess Building. God that building is ugly.
They can keep the parking garage next to it though. Need more of those.
Hey I spent hundreds of nights there from 1999-2007. My employer had a contract with them.
It became a Ramada right when we started staying there and then reverted to the Downtown Plaza name in about 2006.
There is a multi-story underground park garage beneath it. The pool is above that.
Spend a few million to update it and it could be a nice mid-scale place.
This place isn't too bad, as long as you can get past the hauntings on the second and top floor (or so the people who have worked there say). lol
Anyone seen this building recently. The new owners mean business when it comes to remodeling. Instead of fixing up they gutted the place, pulled the sides off the hotel (the window/AC units) and are putting in new windows.
I drove past it today coming back from lunch. I am glad they are doing it right and getting rid of everything. That place was a dump but it was the only option for the mid price range downtown.
Quote from: custosnox on June 04, 2009, 07:49:45 AM
This place isn't too bad, as long as you can get past the hauntings on the second and top floor (or so the people who have worked there say). lol
I was working in the nearby Cities Service building back during the recession of 1974/5. At least one guy jumped from one of the upper floors one summer. Have the local ghost chasers spent any time there?
Quote from: waterboy on September 30, 2009, 02:20:51 PM
I was working in the nearby Cities Service building back during the recession of 1974/5. At least one guy jumped from one of the upper floors one summer. Have the local ghost chasers spent any time there?
It's interesting that you brought that up. I was doing work for Vintage Petroleum back in '94 or '95 when I heard this blood curdling scream come from an office near where I was working. I went to see what had happened and the women in the office had just watced as a woman jumped out of the Adam's Mark onto the Williams Center Green area to the east of the hotel. I think it took her a couple of weeks before she copuld go back to work and actually had her office moved to another area of the 42nd floor of the tower.
Quote from: waterboy on September 30, 2009, 02:20:51 PM
I was working in the nearby Cities Service building back during the recession of 1974/5. At least one guy jumped from one of the upper floors one summer. Have the local ghost chasers spent any time there?
I wouldn't put any faith in our local "ghost chasers". I've known most of them, and there methods are less then desirable. But beyond that, none have been out there that I know about. My aunt ran the bar there while it was the Ramada, and I have heard all kinds of ghost stories about this place. I may be a skeptic, but I still love telling and hearing ghost stories lol.
Quote from: dbacks fan on September 30, 2009, 02:28:04 PM
It's interesting that you brought that up. I was doing work for Vintage Petroleum back in '94 or '95 when I heard this blood curdling scream come from an office near where I was working. I went to see what had happened and the women in the office had just watced as a woman jumped out of the Adam's Mark onto the Williams Center Green area to the east of the hotel. I think it took her a couple of weeks before she copuld go back to work and actually had her office moved to another area of the 42nd floor of the tower.
That was my friend's first pick up as a mortician.
His description was horrible.
Quote from: Townsend on September 30, 2009, 02:50:13 PM
That was my friend's first pick up as a mortician.
His description was horrible.
Yeah, I far prefer picking women up in bars.
was digging through some old newspaper clippings and came across one from June 30, 1964 discusing the beginning construction of the new Holiday Inn Hotel.
I don't know about ghosts or hauntings, but I sure hope they give that place a good scrubbing. I think the last, most frequent use of that place was for the local swingers club "meet-and-greets".
And I am not talking about swing dancing.
*shudders*
NTTAWWT.
Quote from: Kenosha on September 30, 2009, 08:03:01 PM
I don't know about ghosts or hauntings, but I sure hope they give that place a good scrubbing. I think the last, most frequent use of that place was for the local swingers club "meet-and-greets".
And I am not talking about swing dancing.
*shudders*
NTTAWWT.
And how would you know that exactly?
A cursory check of google finds that they have found new homes, such as Trade Winds East
The key word is "trade".
Quote from: sgrizzle on October 01, 2009, 09:33:05 AM
A cursory check of google finds that they have found new homes, such as Trade Winds East
I worked for the Trade Winds Central for a while and went to the bar at the East location once and all I can say is eeeewwwwww!!!!!!
Back on topic, was the Petroleum Club building ever part of that Holiday Inn? They have similar designs and they're connected by a parking garage. I seem to remember seeing an old postcard of the Holiday Inn and it definitely included the Petroleum Club building in the frame.
no, the petroleum club was built first, and the holliday inn had an exterior to match it.
and they don't really share a parking garage. Petroleum club has an under ground parking garage with valet only. The Holiday Inn (or whatever) has a separate underground facility that is self parking. They are not connected.
They are, however, both drab, damp, poorly lit, worn and somewhat scary.
Urban Tulsa article (http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A29159) on the soon to re?open Holiday Inn
QuoteA total of 225 toilets that used 3.6 gallons of water per flush have been replaced with dual-flush models that use only 0.8 gallons for liquids and 1.6 gallons for solids for an average of 0.96 gallons per flush--a change that is estimated to save 5.31 million gallons of water per year.
¿They're saying that each of the 225 toilets get flushed an average of 24.5 times per day?
Really??
Quote from: BKDotCom on February 05, 2010, 02:48:49 PM
Urban Tulsa article (http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A29159) on the soon to re?open Holiday Inn
¿They're saying that each of the 225 toilets get flushed an average of 24.5 times per day?
Really??
Maybe they serve taquitos at happy hour.
Quote from: BKDotCom on February 05, 2010, 02:48:49 PM
Urban Tulsa article (http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A29159) on the soon to re?open Holiday Inn
¿They're saying that each of the 225 toilets get flushed an average of 24.5 times per day?
Really??
Seems like bad math.
I like the new entrance to the hotel but was surprised when I saw the rooftop sign gone.
What? Rooftop signs? Insanity!
Quote from: Townsend on February 05, 2010, 02:58:01 PM
Maybe they serve taquitos at happy hour.
I'm just cracking up over the "dual flush" for liquids or solids.
Quote from: Conan71 on February 05, 2010, 03:37:59 PM
I'm just cracking up over the "dual flush" for liquids or solids.
Me too. Is that automatically detected or a manual selection?
Quote from: Red Arrow on February 05, 2010, 09:52:37 PM
Me too. Is that automatically detected or a manual selection?
Have you never traveled out of the country before? It's a pretty common thing in most other parts of the world... Two buttons instead of one lever. Like so...
(https://s3.amazonaws.com/cs-saskatoonstarphoenix/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00/00/00/69/96/Kohler-DualFlush-BR08-lg.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0TTXDM86AJ1CB68A7P02&Expires=1265608655&Signature=HVkjgRIcOp0%2fkQZVILR2JystIeQ%3d)
(http://imagesme.net/homedosh/dual-flush-toilet1.jpg) (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/chicago/051308caromabuttons.jpg)
(http://www.otismaxwell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Dual-Flush-toilet-sign.jpg) (http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/education/ecologic/img/flush.jpg)
Quote from: dsjeffries on February 07, 2010, 08:52:55 PM
Have you never traveled out of the country before? It's a pretty common thing in most other parts of the world... Two buttons instead of one lever. Like so...
(https://s3.amazonaws.com/cs-saskatoonstarphoenix/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00/00/00/69/96/Kohler-DualFlush-BR08-lg.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0TTXDM86AJ1CB68A7P02&Expires=1265608655&Signature=HVkjgRIcOp0%2fkQZVILR2JystIeQ%3d)
(http://imagesme.net/homedosh/dual-flush-toilet1.jpg) (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/chicago/051308caromabuttons.jpg)
(http://www.otismaxwell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Dual-Flush-toilet-sign.jpg) (http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/education/ecologic/img/flush.jpg)
Last time was Germany in 1995. I don't remember dual function. I remember (but maybe not from that trip) levers where you could manually stop the flow to the bowl.
I see they've added some cool looking neon green lights to the top of the building. It's a nice touch. That place is really undergoing a transformation from dump to decent hotel.
Lately it has been fun to watch them try to keep the construction tent up, over what looks to be a curbside outdoor seating area adjacent to the restaurant this past week.
I'm very please with the improvements that I see (and my office directly looks at it from close aboard). Several interesting pieces to the puzzle, like the innovative glass awning at the front door.
The Boulder Grill is open. Looks great. Carlton Place, Michael71, and I are here.
The building was looking pretty good until they tired to chrome the concrete on the 1st floor.
Is the grill really open yet? I have seen activity but was not sure if it is open or that was a preview?
Quote from: Vision 2025 on February 19, 2010, 10:00:35 AM
The building was looking pretty good until they tired to chrome the concrete on the 1st floor.
Is the grill really open yet? I have seen activity but was not sure if it is open or that was a preview?
We had dinner and drinks there last night.
Marshalls on tap btw.
The hotel is at least one third full Saturday so far.
We got a tour, it's nice inside and the Pool area will be very cool once it's finished.
Quote from: Townsend on February 19, 2010, 10:03:41 AM
Marshalls on tap btw.
Conan bait...
What? No text or phone call?
Quote from: Conan71 on February 19, 2010, 10:14:21 AM
Conan bait...
What? No text or phone call?
My bad.
My wife was customer #1, I was customer #2, Carlton Place was customer #3...so it was freshly opened.
So I guess that wasn't you I saw running with the Fleet Feet training group last night when I was driving through my mother's 'hood. Guy could have been your twin.
Quote from: Conan71 on February 19, 2010, 10:39:21 AM
So I guess that wasn't you I saw running with the Fleet Feet training group last night when I was driving through my mother's 'hood. Guy could have been your twin.
I need to meet that motherscratcher. I've had whole conversations with people who thought I was some other guy.
He must be one handsome devil.
Took an official site tour yesterday for work and was impressed with the rehab. I hadn't seen what the place looked like before -- aside from the broken out windows on the ground floor -- but can pretty well imagine how awful it probably was. The building itself is oddly small for the number of rooms (220) it has. Low ceilings, a small lobby, and not much meeting space. The decor is essentially Target-moderne, and looks and feels essentially like Courtyard by Marriott. Which is not a bad thing, but is instantly recognizable as a downtown style hotel of a certain pricepoint.
They've got a heavy emphasis on the Boulder Grill -- which is a good thing -- and will have a highly decorated second-floor outdoor pool. That's going to be the other area of emphasis. From talking to one of their sales people, I think they'll be selling it as "hip and funky" function space.
They have a parking garage attached with approx 200 spaces, and they almost have it finished. The sleeping room we toured had a great view south of Cathedral Row. We also got to see their famous double flush toilets, which were small but impressive.
Overall, it's exactly what we thought it would be: more low cost inventory in a market that desperately needs more rooms. They'll be able to stay afloat almost solely based on Convention Center/BOK/Drillers Stadium business and generic business transient. And while it isn't THE solution to downtown lodging, it will definitely add another couple of drops to the DT bucket.
We should have an official TulsaNow lunch at the Boulder Grill. They look like they could use the business!
Quote from: we vs us on February 24, 2010, 09:13:09 AM
We should have an official TulsaNow lunch at the Boulder Grill. They look like they could use the business!
I'm in!
I'm looking at prices online because I stay downtown during Mayfest. I got a good rate at Crowne Plaza last year but the room kinda sucked. I am glad to see $99/night room rates (unless you want the top floor)
Went by for lunch today. Pretty decent fair. You can tell it's going to be awhile on the pool, however.
Here's the menu
I won a free appetizer from the Boulder Grill in a Twitter contest. I'm excited to use it!
Yeah, they were hoping to have the pool ready by end of March.
Shrimp and Grits????????
Quote from: dsjeffries on February 24, 2010, 01:20:08 PM
I won a free appetizer from the Boulder Grill in a Twitter contest. I'm excited to use it!
I'm surprised you didn't use it today, since you're stalking me.
Quote from: sgrizzle on February 24, 2010, 01:39:25 PM
I'm surprised you didn't use it today, since you're stalking me.
You call it stalking; I call it good business sense.
Quote from: dbacks fan on February 24, 2010, 01:32:36 PM
Shrimp and Grits????????
It's a Southern "Low Country" thing. You see it a lot around the Charleston and Savannah areas. Very good stuff.
Quote from: wavoka on February 24, 2010, 08:44:21 PM
It's a Southern "Low Country" thing. You see it a lot around the Charleston and Savannah areas. Very good stuff.
I've had grits before, just never thought of them with shrimp for dinner. Guess I've been gone too long from Tulsa.
Quote from: dbacks fan on February 25, 2010, 08:32:49 AM
I've had grits before, just never thought of them with shrimp for dinner. Guess I've been gone too long from Tulsa.
No... we DO NOT eat that here!
Quote from: TURobY on February 25, 2010, 08:35:38 AM
No... we DO NOT eat that here!
It is on the menu at The Polo Grill.
Though their version is not true "Low Country" fare and is only so so at best.
my wife and i finally tried the boulder grill for dinner last night. we both really enjoyed our meals. we had the homemade chips to start with. i had the chorizo pizza and sweet corn tamale cakes (odd combo, i know). my wife had the bacon avocado burger with sweet potato fries. i was also happy to find that they had sierra nevada pale ale on tap. i don't see that very often in tulsa (if ever?). we will definitely try to go back. it will be a good place to catch a football game or two this fall.
Quote from: TURobY on February 25, 2010, 08:35:38 AM
No... we DO NOT eat that here!
You may not, I do.
Not instant though. Any self respecting Southerner wouldn't be caught dead eating instant grits (kudos for the first person who gets the movie reference right).
Quote from: Hoss on July 06, 2010, 12:39:37 PM
You may not, I do.
Not instant though. Any self respecting Southerner wouldn't be caught dead eating instant grits (kudos for the first person who gets the movie reference right).
My Cousin Vinny. Watched it last night.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/quotes?qt0404539 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/quotes?qt0404539)
Quote from: dbacks fan on July 06, 2010, 12:51:24 PM
My Cousin Vinny. Watched it last night.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/quotes?qt0404539 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/quotes?qt0404539)
Kudos given. Good job. Me likey Marisa Tomei... I remember the HUGE uproar her winning the best actress category got her over this. And by that I don't mean good uproar.
I noticed the windiest patio in town has been removed. (Boulder Grill patio)
Anyone know if there are big plans or is it for shuttle bus parking?