Omni Hotel

[ljbab728]

Most of the best hotels in OKC are in the NW Expressway business district, not downtown.

You're kidding, I hope. The only hotel there that would qualify is the Marriott.

[Plutonic Panda]

From Steve Lackmeyer

''The debate over whether the city should pursue development of a conference hotel will likely enter a new phase this week when residents will know whether the project is likely to move forward or die''

Read more here: Lively debate likely in Oklahoma City with discussion of new conference hotel studies | News OK

[Just the facts]

Lively debate likely in Oklahoma City with discussion of new conference hotel studies | News OK

Stone's new study seems to back such arguments, showing attendance at the city's current Cox Convention Center has fluctuated with big swings over the past decade, with a high of 684,641 people in 2004 and a low of 386,932 in 2008 (a 34 percent drop from the prior year). Attendance in 2012 totaled 579,978 — the highest number for Oklahoma City's downtown convention center since 2007.

Okay, so here we go. Of the 579,978 people who went to the Cox Center in 2012 (the highest year on record), what percentage of them were residents of central Oklahoma? Does the study that says we need to spend upwards of $50 million break it down like that?

Not counting playoff games - attendance in calendar year 2012 just for Baron games was 137,031. Are these 137,031 people counted as part of the 579,978? Without a convention hotel are we at risk of losing the Baron home games to Kansas City? Are any of the 137,031 the same people (being counted multiple times)? If so, how many of 579,978 are also the same people being counted multiple times?

You might ask, why does this matter? Here is why it matters....

http://newsok.com/study-suggests-okl...914440/?page=2

Evans and Dean's study concludes that for every 10,000 convention attendees drawn by the new facilities, local economic output will increase by $1.6 million.

How do they possibly arrive at this figure since we know that the vast majority of those 10,000 people already live in metro OKC? By this calculation the Baron fans add nearly $22 million to the local economy every year - a local economy they already live in. We know this is simply not true - nor even possible.

[warreng88]

Sorry if this is such an elementary question, but what makes a hotel full service? Restaurants? Meeting space? Full room service? Spa?

[shawnw]

Room service?

[kevinpate]

... Most of the best hotels in OKC are in the NW Expressway business district, not downtown.

You think the better hotels in OKC are out on NWX? The Marriot's not bad, I'll give you that one. And Crown back in earlier (much earlier) Hilton NW times wasn't horrid by any means, but the rest? Nah. Not in my opinion anyway. To each their own I suppose, but I can't join your parade.

[BoulderSooner]

I think OKC needs both. It would be great to start getting some high profile conventions here. I could be wrong but I don't think the Cox cuts it. The convention center attached to an Omni or Hyatt hotel would be a huge coup for OKC. After the completion of the Aloft, downtown will have four full-service hotels. I think it could handle one more. Most of the best hotels in OKC are in the NW Expressway business district, not downtown.

Aloft is not a full service hotel

[Bellaboo]

You're kidding, I hope. The only hotel there that would qualify is the Marriott.

Waterford may qualify too.

[kevinpate]

Sorry if this is such an elementary question, but what makes a hotel full service? Restaurants? Meeting space? Full room service? Spa?

All of the above. I've stayed in places where room service consisted of a choice of call in places and being a guest meant you paid 10% off or received free delivery. Didn't consider it a full service hotel, but I readily concede it beat a vending box bag o stale chips.

[kevinpate]

They should just sell the CC as a quality of life and civic pride project and knock it off with these crazy out of the realm of possibility projections. They are embarrassing themselves. It is okay for the people to have nice things built with public money. They should leave it at that.

I can't find a thing I disagree with in this. I do think there is potential for some new OKC business with a new cc. Like you, I don't buy in that there will be enough new business brought in to ever cover the expense of bringing it here.

[LuccaBrasi]

The biggest reason the OCCVB and convention center needs an associated hotel is so there can be one negotiated contract between meeting planners, who are negotiating on behalf of XYZ convention, and the OCCVB for convention space, room blocks, and food service, etc. Most, if not all, competing city's already has s simplified process such as this. Today in OKC, if I'm not mistaken, the OCCVB can only negotiate the convention space, therefore, the meeting planner has to then call the Renaissance to negotiate rooms and food, and/or other hotels if the Renaissance does not have enough rooms to block out. As you can see, it's a much more laborious process and could drive away business and does not bode well for overall negotiating tactics. Therefore, the discussion of the hotel is not as simple as just the total count in the CBD.

[Just the facts]

If THAT is the reason then they should stop this dead in it tracks right now - because the cost of construction will NEVER be recouped if it only comes from 'conventions we missed out on". We have got to stop with this 'economic angle' because the economic don't support it.

Public buildings (be they a convention center, a train station, or a police headquarters) should represent the collective spirit of the people and be places that inspire future generations, honor past generations, and be a source of pride for the current generation. That is the only reason we should need to have nice things. And of course it would define a sense of place if they used the same 'style' for all public buildings in the downtown area.

[bchris02]

Waterford may qualify too.

The Waterford was primarily what I was thinking of. In addition to that there is the Marriott and the Crowne Plaza.

I would really like to see an Omni, Hyatt, or Ritz Carlton in downtown OKC. Downtown could use another option on the high-end.

[ljbab728]

The Waterford was primarily what I was thinking of. In addition to that there is the Marriott and the Crowne Plaza.

I would really like to see an Omni, Hyatt, or Ritz Carlton in downtown OKC. Downtown could use another option on the high-end.

I wouldn't consider the Waterford to be in the NW EXP business district.

[bchris02]

I wouldn't consider the Waterford to be in the NW EXP business district.

It's close enough. It's easily the nicest hotel outside the core and the second nicest in the city after the Skirvin. I am not sure how the Aloft will rank when it is complete.

I am really hoping this convention center hotel will end up being an Omni with mixed hotel and condos. Something like this.

[BoulderSooner]

This project is a no brained

[CaptDave]

It's close enough. It's easily the nicest hotel outside the core and the second nicest in the city after the Skirvin. I am not sure how the Aloft will rank when it is complete.

I am really hoping this convention center hotel will end up being an Omni with mixed hotel and condos. Something like this.

That is my hope as well. The Ft Worth Omni is very nice and worth taking a look for those who have not been there. That concept could work very well in OKC.

[PhiAlpha]

It's close enough. It's easily the nicest hotel outside the core and the second nicest in the city after the Skirvin. I am not sure how the Aloft will rank when it is complete.

I am really hoping this convention center hotel will end up being an Omni with mixed hotel and condos. Something like this.

That is exactly what I was thinking. FTW's convention center and hotel are a great model for us to shoot for. Again, if you haven't been to conventions in cities near our size or slightly larger, you have no idea how far behind we are in facilities. This is a necessary project. I can't speak to the 100 conventions we've supposedly lost but I know of one relatively large oil and gas convention that we likely would've landed for the next few years had our facilities been better. Given what is needed for that convention in other cities, no way we could efficiently host it right now. It usually brings in somewhere between 6,000 and 12,000 people for the regional installments, most of which would be from out of town.

[bchris02]

That is exactly what I was thinking. FTW's convention center and hotel are a great model for us to shoot for. Again, if you haven't been to conventions in cities near our size or slightly larger, you have no idea how far behind we are in facilities. This is a necessary project. I can't speak to the 100 conventions we've supposedly lost but I know of one relatively large oil and gas convention that we likely would've landed for the next few years had our facilities been better. Given what is needed for that convention in other cities, no way we could efficiently host it right now. It usually brings in somewhere between 6,000 and 12,000 people for the regional installments, most of which would be from out of town.

Completely agree with this. OKC NEEDS this convention center and hotel. Large conventions also bring huge exposure to a community with people from around the country coming to town who otherwise wouldn't. I personally see this as more vital to the future of OKC than the streetcar and perhaps the most vital of the MAPS3 projects.

[UnFrSaKn]

Downtown OKC hotel may cost $200 million, partly funded by taxpayers | KFOR.com

[ljbab728]

That Omni in Fort Worth, with 614 rooms, is somewhat smaller than what is being recommended in OKC but an Omni would be fine with me.

[HangryHippo]

That Omni in Fort Worth, with 614 rooms, is somewhat smaller than what is being recommended in OKC but an Omni would be fine with me.

That particular Omni would be fine with me.

[GaryOKC6]

Completely agree with this. OKC NEEDS this convention center and hotel. Large conventions also bring huge exposure to a community with people from around the country coming to town who otherwise wouldn't. I personally see this as more vital to the future of OKC than the streetcar and perhaps the most vital of the MAPS3 projects.

I totally agree as well. Our convention facilities are outdated and are no longer viable. We need a facility that is truly a convention center. I have done trade shows around the country and they were all a major factor for those cities economic growth.

[kwhey]

Sorry if this is such an elementary question, but what makes a hotel full service? Restaurants? Meeting space? Full room service? Spa?

Happy Endings?

[kevinpate]

Only Omni I have stayed in was in Baltimore, several, several years back.
If I've ever stayed somewhere nicer, I had way too much fun to actually remember anything about the place.