Goldsboro Suites to get $3M renovation
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on February 1, 2016 1:46 PM
Goldsboro Suites at 2613 N. Park Drive will soon undergo a $3 million renovation to transform into a Home2 Suites by Hilton.
Kyle Pritchard, regional manager for East Coast Hospitality -- the company that owns the hotel -- said the move is considered an "upbranding" in which the hotel will be under a better brand name than it was previously by undergoing the renovation and rebranding process.
"We got a lot of new competition here with the Holiday Inn Express and Suites opening and the TownPlace Suites Marriott right next door, so we knew we'd have to do something extreme to keep up with the change," Pritchard said.
Both the exterior and the interior of the hotel will undergo a renovation. The entire process is expected to take four to five months, and the hotel will remain open during this time as the renovations are done one section at a time.
Every room will be cleaned out, its carpets and bathrooms replaced and have new furnishings installed before the reopening of the hotel under the new brand.
The existing pool will become completely enclosed and be made part of the building, effectively converting it to an indoor pool.
Gas fire pits and grills will also be installed in the pool area.
The lobby will expand into the existing fitness center, and the existing meeting room will be turned into the fitness center, effectively tripling the size of the fitness center.
Typical hotel renovations cost $750,000 to $1.5 million, Pritchard said, meaning the "upbranding" and renovation of the Goldsboro suites will be more extensive than normal.
Pritchard said he hopes all of this will bring in more customers as Wayne County completes its new Agricultural Events Center, as Goldsboro completes its multi-sports complex and as Seymour Johnson Air Force Base hosts the Wings Over Wayne Air Show in the coming years.
"Hilton is recognized as one of the best hotel brands in the world," Pritchard said. "We had a great run with the Comfort Suites brand, but being part of the Hilton brand will allow us to take our customer service, our amenities and everything else to the next level."