DiamondRock Hospitality Completes Renovation of 821-Room Hilton Minneapolis

By Gabriel Circiog, Associate Editor

DiamondRock Hospitality Co. recently announced that it has successfully completed its $13 million renovation of the Hilton Minneapolis. The revamping project, which started in November 2013, included guest rooms, guest bathrooms and corridors.

Located at 1001 Marquette Ave. S., the Hilton Minneapolis features 821 deluxe guest rooms and suites. It is the largest hotel in Minnesota and a AAA Four Diamond hotel. The hotel, which is connected to the Minneapolis Convention Center via skybridge, also features 77,000 square feet of meeting space, a 25,000-square-foot ballroom, a restaurant, a fitness center, an indoor pool, a sauna and a whirlpool.

DiamondRock expects that the newly renovated property, with enhanced amenities and a new contemporary design, will differentiate it from competitors in the area and deliver substantial EBITDA and RevPAR growth in 2014 and beyond.

Mark W. Brugger, president & CEO of DiamondRock Hospitality Co., said: “The Hilton Minneapolis is another example of our successful 2013 capital program, focusing on projects that will drive meaningful growth in 2014 and beyond. Hilton Minneapolis performs at the top of its competitive set, and we believe this renovation will allow it to continue to do so going forward.”

Hilton Minneapolis was transformed by The Gettys Group, a Chicago-based company that specializes in hotel design. The renovations also included significant sustainability measures that aim to improve the property’s operating efficiency and environmental profile: The CFL technology has been replaced with LED lighting, resulting in an estimated annual 551,251 Kwh reduction in electrical usage; all guest-room heating systems have been replaced with new energy-efficient fans; and the installation of low-flow shower heads will yield an annual reduction in water consumption of 1.7 million gallons.

Brugger added: “Companywide, our renovations are substantially complete and have positioned DiamondRock for outsize growth over the next several years.”