Inn on the Park, Madison’s only Capitol Square hotel, is beginning a massive interior and exterior reconstruction.
The project, which includes a redesign of the façade, is beginning now and is expected to be complete in June 2016. The hotel will remain open throughout the renovation and upon completion will revert to its historic original name — Park Hotel. The architect for the reconstruction is Destree Architecture and Design, while K & L Construction will serve as general contractor.
“Every aspect of the interior of the hotel is being renovated,” says George Wiesner, the hotel’s general manager. “Lobby, guestrooms, event space, hallways, etc. The guest rooms and common areas are designed in midnight blues, creamy yellows, and soft golds. Special touches of sparkle are featured in the ballroom and the Top of the Park, while monochromatic images of Madison evoke a stately feel appropriate for a hotel on the Capitol Square.”
Because Inn on the Park provides thousands of guest rooms annually for conferences at the Monona Terrace, the renovation of the hotel will provide additional comfort and amenities to these corporate guests, maintaining Madison as an appealing location for conventions.
“The convention and visitor industry is highly competitive,” notes Deb Archer, president/CEO of the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau. “For Madison to remain competitive, investments to visitor amenities such as the Inn on the Park are critical. Today’s travelers are seeking authentic experiences. The resurrection of this iconic property is wonderful for retaining some of our city’s downtown heritage, and refreshing a hotel that is unique and distinctive to Madison will be very appealing to visitors.”
Wiesner says the renovated Park Hotel will feature two presidential-style suites on the ninth floor with expansive windows showcasing a breathtaking view of Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, and the Capitol. “We are extending the ninth floor along Main Street to include additional lake-view rooms but we’re also combining some of our smaller rooms, so when it’s all said and done we’ll stay at our current 214 (rooms).”
The restaurant and bar on the first floor are being remodeled as well. The type of food and service are yet to be announced, but the existing exterior entrance is being moved to the corner of the building to better serve the public, as well as hotel guests.
According to Wiesner, the exterior renovations include adding a classic three story stone base to the building and the removal of the ninth floor triangular overhang. This distinctive cement overhang was added during construction in the 1960s to enclose the eighth floor rooftop terrace and has been interchangeably referred to as “the cheesehead,” “the helmet,” or “the beak.”
“During what will certainly be a spectacle the overhang will be reduced to its steel frame, which will then be cut from the building and lowered by crane,” notes Wiesner.
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Investing in Madison’s future
Inn on the Park is owned by the Mullins family, which Wiesner notes is investing millions of dollars on its own money on this project that will support of the Monona Terrace and Madison’s downtown.
Because the renovation is being paid for without TIF funds, Wiesner says the cost of the project isn’t being made public. However, he says approximately 180 people will be employed on the construction project, bringing quality jobs downtown during the renovation. “Additionally, because the hotel is not closing during renovation we’re able to keep a staff of 90 at work,” Wiesner says. “We have a lot of loyal staff. In fact, one employee just celebrated her 50th year with us! So it was really important to keep those people employed throughout the renovation.”
GMCVB’s Archer notes it’s difficult for to estimate a specific return on investment for a project like this, but “we are confident that the investment the Mullins family is making to enhance this historic hotel will pay dividends to them and it will aid us significantly in attracting conventions and events to Madison.”
Operating continuously as a hotel since August 1871, Wiesner notes, “There are few things more ‘Madison’ than this hotel. I can’t think of any other place that holds more of Madison’s memories.”
Now a whole new batch of memories will be made once the hotel’s renovations are complete.
“As the second-nearest hotel to the Monona Terrace we serve thousands of convention and event guests each year and we expect that to continue when our finishes and amenities once again match our superior service,” says Wiesner. “We’re currently a Best Western Plus property and we’re upgrading to the Best Western Premier standard. We’ll be the third Best Western Premier in Wisconsin along with Neenah and Oshkosh. Premier properties are upscale hotels and we’re looking forward to welcoming new guests who might not have considered a Best Western in the past.
“We will continue to provide a competitive price in the downtown market,” Wiesner adds. “Having been in business for 144 years we are lucky to have a large number of loyal, long-term guests. We are committed to continuing to welcome those valued friends.”
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