If I'm remembering correctly, wood framed construction can be no taller than 85'.

Right, that's from the International Building Code.

If I'm remembering correctly, wood framed construction can be no taller than 85'.

This isn't wood-frame though, it's load-bearing steel studs with metal decking/concrete topping slabs. The shear walls are the CMU cores. These can easily go up to 15 stories with a concrete podium (this one appeared to have a structural steel podium to support the second floor deck).

^^^^^^
Just because you build something with more floors/rooms doesn't mean it will fill up.

Hotels are built to pro formas which include performance metrics such as flag, associated reservation system, location, expected rates they might be able to bring, etc.. Or more properly I should have said hotels are FINANCED based on these metrics. There were likely very clear indicators showing how many bookings this property could expect with this flag, at this rate, and so on.

There are also economies of scale related to staffing, etc., such as breaking points for maintenance staff, housekeeping, front desk, etc.. Everything is according to formula, with little or no guesswork involved. So, the number of stories/rooms conformed to the formula, and it allowed the developer to secure financing, and I'm sure going outside of that formula would have not only been incredibly risky but would have killed the project's financing.

You would know better than nearly anyone, so not disputing...

...but also there was such a hard push for 600-750 rooms for the Omni. That didn't seem particularly formulaic aside from "because room blocks". I know it's a different situation. I feel like this hotel could have been a different situation as well, given the proximity to the CC and Park and such.

Yes, Omni was very specifically about room blocks. If you were to build the Omni without public participation, the formula would probably tell you that you could expect around 150-250 rooms to be booked organically each night at market rate. The additional rooms are only possible because quite often they will be booked at a loss (on paper) to incentivize meetings.

The Omni was actually very formulaic, because they simply added expected profitable organic bookings for that flag, PLUS excess likely UNprofitable rooms equal to standard meeting room blocks.

This hotel has no such public participation, nor should it. It’s being built to satisfy organic market demand.

Exactly

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield110318.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield121118.jpg

Do they plan on opening as soon as construction is complete? Even though the Omni and CC will still be going up.

Do they plan on opening as soon as construction is complete? Even though the Omni and CC will still be going up.

Yes. They actually have their own parking lot (or soon will) directly west.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield012419.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield049619a.jpg

I peeked inside and this project is almost complete:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield111619b.jpg

A significant number of these box hotels are stick construction so that was a fair question if you didn't watch this particular one go up. The majority of those built up and down the Meridian corridor, especially the newer ones, are stick.

I like that they didn't just make it an L shape too. Although they went kind weird with the 3 blocks instead of filling in the corners. I guess they didn't want triangle rooms? Seems like a good place to use for storage or the ice machine for each floor to me...

I peeked in and all the furniture is in place and they are just putting on the final touches.

Should be open very soon.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield120819a.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield121419a.jpg

They are open for business.

Haha what the hell is going on with that electrical box being out there in what appears to be a valet lane? And the other utility meters being right there at the front door is also very facepalm.

Images from their website:

https://i.imgur.com/AQD2nk7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bDRYIfW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2lzyLCl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/znVTsza.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VUCCf4g.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield102520a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield102520b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/fairfield102520c.jpg

Where is this?

Where is this?

next to the omni and new CC

Odd almost two years down the line ribbon cutting. I mean, I get it, covid, but also why at this point...

https://twitter.com/okcchamber/status/1459467579546910721

^

They are just trying to drum up some publicity.

I go by there frequently and it always looks quite full.