Renaissance Cleveland Hotel Set for "Significant Capital Infusion," Incoming Manager Says

By Michelle Jarboe McFee, The Plain Dealer 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Downtown's largest hotel, the 491-room Renaissance on Public Square, should see some hefty spending after a management change in late June.

Robert Burg, chief operating officer for Aimbridge Hospitality of Texas, said in an interview Thursday that the hotel is set for "a very, very significant capital infusion." He wouldn't discuss the cost or timeline, but Burg acknowledged that renovations - much more than a basic room revamp - are sorely needed at the nearly 100-year-old property.

"Obviously, we're ecstatic about that," said Burg, whose company will step in to run the Renaissance after longtime manager Marriott International Inc. bows out at the end of June. "It's well past due and very needed. ... I can't talk about the details because we're not managing the hotel right now."

Marriott disclosed last week, in a letter sent to the state, that its management deal with Renaissance owner CTF Development Inc. will end June 30. Since Marriott will no longer employ the 282 people who work at the hotel, the company filed a public notice of layoffs under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

But employees at the Renaissance won't lose their jobs. Instead, they'll transition from working for Marriott to working for Aimbridge, a company that already operates a handful of hotels scattered across Northeast Ohio.

"We let everyone know that we will be extending jobs to everybody," Burg said.

"Our immediate priorities are to get all the employees enrolled and to ensure that there's no gap in benefits or disruption of any sort for the employees or customers of the hotel," he added. "We are working in tandem with Marriott on a very seamless transition."

The Plain Dealer reported Tuesday that Aimbridge appeared to be the incoming hotel manager. Burg confirmed the company's role during a Thursday phone call, but he wouldn't discuss rumors about bigger changes - including a possible sale - at the Renaissance.

CTF, which is owned by the Cheng family of Hong Kong, has been marketing the property to potential buyers for more than a year. As of midday Friday, no indication of a sale popped up in Cuyahoga County real estate records.