Developers say the hotel offers a sleek and modern environment that also celebrates Dayton’s rich history and culture of innovation.
“Hotel Ardent has a distinct concept with thoughtful amenities, dining experience and inspiring design that win the hearts of guests and locals alike by leading with genuine hospitality, passion and dedication,” Sam Schwartz, president of First Investors, said in a statement
The 118-room property is one of three downtown hotels.
However, four other hotels proposed for downtown are in various stages of planning, development and construction.
Hotel Ardent
The Hotel Ardent officially opened its doors this week in a building that was constructed in 1927 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The 10-story hotel is at the southwest corner of North Main and West First streets, across from the Victoria Theatre and a block up from the Schuster Center.
The hotel was expected to open in late 2022, but issues related to COVID, supply chains and renovation delayed the project.
The hotel has 118 rooms and suites, plus meeting spaces, a fitness center and yoga room and a new Italian steakhouse restaurant called Bistecca that will open on the first floor in the coming months.
Developers say the hotel is comfortable and stylish, with a “sophisticated, plush and refined” design.
First Investors developed and owns the hotel. The property is operated and managed by First Hospitality.
The other hotels currently in operation are the AC Hotel and the Fairfield Inn & Suites, on opposite sides of the Dayton Dragons’ Day Air Ballpark.
The 134-room AC Hotel opened in early 2023. The 98-room Fairfield Inn launched in 2018.
New hotels
A new Hilton Garden Inn will be opening in the Dayton Arcade later this year. The 93-room hotel is already accepting reservations for June 1 and beyond.
“Construction is coming along beautifully, and we can’t wait to welcome guests to this stunning property once it’s complete,” said James Bailey, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn Dayton Downtown. “We’re aiming for a spring opening, with the exact date to be announced soon.”
The hotel is in the northern section of the Arcade, a collection of nine interconnected buildings in the heart of downtown.
The Arcade already has housing, classrooms, offices, co-working spaces, restaurants, art galleries, a theater and other amenities.
“Our hotel will offer a truly one-of-a-kind experience in Dayton,” Bailey said.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
The vacant former Crowne Plaza Dayton hotel, across Fifth Street from the Convention Center, is being renovated and could partially reopen later this year, said Pam Plageman, executive director and CEO of the Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority, which is in charge of the convention center.
The Crowne Plaza, 33 E. Fifth St., more recently operated as a Radisson hotel before it shut down in 2022.
Plageman said the owners are in the process of renovating the 13-story building into what is being called the Dayton Vitality Hotel.
“They are telling us in 90 to 120 days they are going to be doing a soft opening,” she said.
Another boutique hotel is planned for a vacant church and parish hall at 239 Wayne Ave. in the Oregon District.
Weyland Ventures, a Kentucky-based developer, plans to rehab the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church property into a hotel with about 72 rooms.
Part of the church and parish hall could be converted into a new restaurant and event, theater or recreation space. The developer also proposes a new building as part of the project.
The Crowne Plaza property is just north of the Dayton Convention Center. To the east of the facility, across Jefferson Street, a new “headquarter” hotel will be built on a city-owned plaza.
Construction on the roughly $70 million project hopefully will begin in the third quarter of this year, Plageman said.
The hotel, which could have around 200 rooms, is sorely needed to help the convention center attract major conventions and events, Plageman said.
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