Maybe I missed an earlier announcement, but a few days ago I was driving by and
noticed what appears to be a 4 story new hotel being built at the Biltmore Hotel
at I-40 & Meridian.

My ham radio buddies have rented a meeting hall at the Biltmore for several years,
but no more, and we have noticed the place is just really a run down dump.

The property is really deep, I'd estimate it goes west from Meridian for probably a
1/4 mile or so, and most of the buildings are terribly decrepit and not fit for habitation.

Does anyone know what the plans are?

I'm going to make an assumption that at least one new motel is built and the rest of
that dump is razed and repurposed for other real estate needs.

What was it before it was the Biltmore?

Thanks in advance.

Before it was the Biltmore it was a Radisson. Not sure what it was before that. It's been a run down dump since about the mid '90s.

I really can't believe it's stayed around this long. I can't believe people actually stay there but I guess they have to be making money somehow or else they would've shut it down by now.

I don't believe the Biltmore is going away, but my information could be old. I bumped into one of the long term management at the State Fair last fall, and he mentioned they were bringing down the South building (where the inside pool is/was) and replacing it with a multistory building. He was wanting me to come by and hopefully bring some events back to the Biltmore (which is not likely to happen unless they do some major renovations).

The new State Fair Coliseum will have an impact on the growth of the Meridian Hotel Corridor since the current State Fair Arena has always been a catalyst supporting hotels in the area.

I don't know if you'll see the Biltmore swell back to 500 available rooms but the new State Fair Coliseum will have an impact on possible future smaller hotel development in and around that corridor. Oklahoma City wants to keep these horse shows here along with the high school playoff tournaments the 'Big House' hosts.

Maybe the ECHL (ice hockey) could use the coliseum and there's room on the 400 plus acre track for the MAPS 4 Soccer Stadium (Old Grand Stands area) for USL soccer in OKC since there's some paved parking on the fairgrounds.

What was it before it was the Biltmore?

Thanks in advance.

that piqued my curiosity, so i looked up the address (401 s meridian) in the oklahoman archives...

looks like it was called the 'hilton inn west' when it opened in 1972 and (as previously stated) became a radisson in 1992. it was purchased by some local investors in 1998 when it took on the biltmore name, which was a throwback to the name of the 29-story downtown hotel that was demolished in 1977.

I’ve watched too much Ozark but when I see places like this stick around when there is better options and doesn’t make sense why they would be able to stay in business i instantly think money laundering

Not sure about money laundering, but based on the typical clientele I have seen in that area I think they are laundering a lot of bed sheets and towels. I hope they do, anyway.

Not sure about money laundering, but based on the typical clientele I have seen in that area I think they are laundering a lot of bed sheets and towels. I hope they do, anyway.

Hehehehehe I have had a few bed sheets washed there. :)

Hehehehehe I have had a few bed sheets washed there. :)

tmi

I work in the area and asked a hotel owner I know last week what brand the hotel was going to be and was told it would be a Hawthorne Suites. I guess there are no immediate plans for the Biltmore itself. The owner is out of Dallas and is rarely ever on site.