A number of officials gathered to mark a new chapter for the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Rochester on Thursday. They cut the ribbon on a more than $18 million renovation project.
It includes improvements to the more than 340 rooms as well as new lounges, and a Starbucks, as well as a Morton’s Steakhouse that will be opening soon.
Mayor Lovely Warren says it’s all part of the efforts to create more jobs in the city.
“Many people worked on this, worked construction on this job, to repair the rooms, to renovate the rooms, but also all the people that work here on a daily basis not only to clean the rooms, but at the front desk, people working in restaurants, and other things like that, so this is really about what we’re trying to do in the city of Rochester.”
The Hyatt originally opened 25 years ago, and that was after a delay in construction of several years. The building was recently sold to local developers Bob Morgan and Dave Christa.
Christa notes that both he and Bob Morgan renovated the Strathallan Hotel, and they expect similar success with the Hyatt.
“What’s happened with the Strathallan, same thing’s happening here; when people see you make an investment, and you’re a local company, people support it. Also with two great opportunities here, getting a Starbucks, as well as a Morton’s steakhouse, it’s kind of unprecedented,” Christa told WXXI News.
Christa says even before the project was completed, they've already seen an increase in people using the hotel.
Jim Brown, the executive director of the adjacent Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center, says an upgraded hotel should also help boost convention business in the area.
