Another new downtown hotel is moving closer to opening its doors for guests as construction of the 18-story, 205-room Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTER heads towards completion. Local media was invited for a tour of the hotel tower Wednesday afternoon.
Developed by Sabres and Bills owners Kim and Terry Pegula, downtown Buffalo’s first Marriott hotel will feature the newest version of the brand’s design elements. Basic guest rooms feature a separate full seating area with sectional couch, modern bathrooms and laminate hardwood. Rooms on the west side of the building overlook Canalside and the Inner Harbor with higher floors sporting wide-open views of Lake Erie and Canada.
Also taking advantage of the views is the elevated seventh floor lobby featuring a ‘great room’ with a continuous wall of windows overlooking Canalside and downtown. The common area of the hotel is large with a central bar, double-sided fireplace, two meeting rooms and a ballroom. There will also be a fitness center, business center and other amenities.
Within the complex, the hotel will join the previously opened duo ice rinks, Academy of Hockey, IMPACT Sports Performance training facility, 750 space parking structure, (716) Food and Sport, and Tim Horton’s Cafe & Bake Shop. Rounding out the retail portion of the complex will be Fowlers’ Chocolates, Modern Nostalgia/Blue Collar, Clayton’s Toys, and Red Siren which are expected to open in early July.
Expected to open in late summer, the Marriott will join other recently opened downtown hotels which include the neighboring Courtyard Marriott Canalside and the Hilton Garden Inn on Lafayette Square. It will be followed shortly by the opening of the Curtiss Hotel (December 2015) and the Westin Buffalo (November 2016).
Questions of market saturation to this point seem to be unwarranted. The magnetic nature of the HARBORCENTER complex combined with the growing popularity of the surrounding Canalside and Cobblestone Districts further ensures that the growth in Buffalo’s hotel stock is healthy and thus-far sustainable.
Room rates will be adjusted based on market demand but are tentatively expected to be around $200/night.
Populous is the general HARBORCENTER architect, with GSB serving as associate hotel architect. Construction of the project is managed by Mortenson Construction.
Guest room
Guest bath
Eighth floor guest room view
Guest check-in
View from seventh floor great room
Lobby corridor
Meeting room
Ceiling design in central bar