NEWS
Local hotel undergoes multi-million dollar renovations
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by Aubre Andrus
Friday, January 21, 2005
The Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel on West Johnson Street, home of the Badgerland Bar and Grill, is undergoing a $3 million facelift. When completed this March, the renovated hotel will become the DoubleTree of Madison, a division of the upscale Hilton Hotels.
Tom Ziarnik, general manager of the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, said the owners had an opportunity to get out of their franchise agreement with the Howard Johnson. Although the franchise is changing, the ownership will remain the same, he added.
“It’s a good thing for downtown Madison to have another upscale brand [hotel],” Ziarnik said. “We wanted to stay competitive and we wanted to gain an advantage over downtown hotels.”
According to hotel co-owner Ann Neviaser, the Chamber of Commerce is pleased that a national brand hotel is coming to the downtown area. Other downtown hotels include the local Madison Concourse Hotel and The Edgewater, she added.
Kim Straka, director of communications and public relations for the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau, said a high-class and recognizable brand hotel will be appealing to businesses that come to Madison for conventions. The DoubleTree of Madison will provide a nice alternative to the local hotels, she added.
“The more quality hotels you have in the city the more attractive your city is,” Straka said.
The hotel’s interior and exterior will be completely renovated, Neviaser noted. The Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel was first built by Neviaser’s late husband more than 30 years ago.
According to Neviaser, reconstruction on all 163 rooms is almost complete. Each bed will have a pillow-top mattress, five down pillows and a special pillow square wishing guests ‘sweet dreams,’ she said. Each room will be equipped with new furniture, wallpaper and carpets, according to a release.
The lobby of the hotel will also be renovated with the addition of an automatic entry door. The completed hallways on each floor have new doors, crown molding and wall coverings.
The outside of the building will be refaced with aluminum pieces covering the brick and stone on the main entrance wall. The city’s Urban Design Commission enjoys the new metal siding, Neviaser said. According to Ziarnik, some of the work on the exterior of the hotel is completed. Metal panels are currently being placed on the building and the roof is being worked on, he added.
The DoubleTree of Madison will be the only such property in Wisconsin. Other DoubleTree hotels are located in major cities including Chicago and Minneapolis. And like Midwest Airlines, guests receive homemade chocolate chip cookies upon arriving at the hotel.
The hotel also offers guests an indoor pool and whirlpool, free shuttle service around campus and to the Dane County Regional Airport, as well as a fitness center. The Badgerland Bar and Grill, located inside the hotel, claims to be the best Wisconsin Badger-themed restaurant.
Considering the bright future of the hotel combining with the great service it already offers, Neviaser said she is excited.
“I think it’s a wonderful change for us as well as for Madison.”
Anonymous (January 21, 2005 @ 8:29am):
Do all of these wonderful changes mean that the rooms will cost more?
Anonymous (January 21, 2005 @ 1:06pm):
Most likely, yes, rooms will cost more. The thing that I'll miss is sneaking in there at 6 AM drunk as hell and stealing continental breakfast.
Anonymous (January 21, 2005 @ 2:12pm):
i like footburgers
