Home2 Suites to open after renovation project
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on September 22, 2016 9:57 AM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
A complete remodel of the Goldsboro Suites along U.S. 70 continues with plans to reopen as a Home2 Suites by Hilton by 2017.
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Roofing materials are stacked next to the Goldsboro Suites in preparation for the addition of a new roof. The roof replacement is part of a $3 million hotel renovation project.
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
A complete remodel of the Goldsboro Suites along U.S. 70 continues with plans to reopen as a Home2 Suites by Hilton by 2017.
A complete overhaul of the Goldsboro Suites along U.S. 70 is planned to continue through the end of the year before the hotel reopens as a Home2 Suites by Hilton.
The building roof will start coming off next week, depending on the weather, as part of the $3 million interior and exterior renovation project, said Kyle Pritchard, East Coast Hospitality regional director.
The hotel, at 2613 N. Park Dr., previously operated as a Comfort Suites, until the owners decided in September to not renew its contract with the hotel chain. The property operated as a Goldsboro Suites from September until it was closed in March for the renovation.
"Most hotels simply get sold and go down in name brand as they get older and more worn out," Pritchard said. "It's very easy to simply switch to a lower ranked name brand and not do extensive renovations like we are. We are upgrading the hotel extensively and up-branding, meaning we are converting the hotel to a better brand name.
"In our case, we own the building and the land. We love Goldsboro and wanted to be the best hotel in town again, like we were for so many years before. In our industry, that means having the latest and greatest brand new hotel for our travelers."
The interior of the building has been completely gutted, with inside walls, beams and other structural components reconfigured during the process. The changes to walls and beams were not originally anticipated, which led to a six week delay for the project, Pritchard said.
"There's a tremendous amount of activity going on inside the building that can't been seen when passing by on the road," Pritchard said. "We had to move walls, add steel beams and columns, reframe every guest room entry door and every guest room bathroom. We have finally made good progress on the exterior facade, and the building is starting to look like a Home2."
Depending on the weather, the building's A-frame roof is planned to come off this week and next. A new flat roof will be added, and the replacement is expected to take a total of five weeks.
New walls, carpeting and other interior upgrades are planned. The hotel will have an indoor pool, with a surrounding outdoor patio area at the rear of the building.
The project should be finished by the end of the year, with Home2 Suites by Hilton expected to open in January, Pritchard said.
"Our goal is to be open by January at the latest," Pritchard said. "We are very eager to open back up and continue our service to the Goldsboro/Wayne County community."