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MetroPlex will become Clarion
LIBERTY — A Clarion Hotel sign will go up May 1, advertising the MetroPlex Hotel and Convention Center as part of Choice Hotels International.
Dr. Indira Sammy, who bought the MetroPlex with two family members for $900,000 in November 2009, made the announcement at a press conference Tuesday morning. She said an agreement was signed with Clarion late last year. The Choice Hotels International umbrella also includes Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Cambria Suites and EconoLodge.
But that’s not the only change that Sammy has in store for what she described as “a landmark” in the area. She and her partners are selling their two hotels in Lancaster, Pa., and commercial properties they own to come up with $1.5 million for renovations.
The public will be able to see what’s been going on at the hotel at an official public opening March 1 and banquet center opening April 1. Sammy said the dates are estimated and may be adjusted. The March 1 target date also will see the opening of the bar and grille, which is named Sammy G.
When the banquet center is ready for operation, it will be unveiled with new carpeting to the tune of $54,000, along with wallpaper, tile, doors and china. It can accommodate some 2,000 people.
Sammy said the hotel has 152 rooms now, which are in the process of being renovated. “There will be about 140 regular rooms, and the rest will be suites,” she said.
Sammy said she is advertising to lease what was the comedy club to someone with experience in that field. But, she said, if that doesn’t pan out, she and her partners would consider trying to make a go of it.
Sammy, who described herself as a certified minority businesswoman, said she envisioned an addition to the hotel in three to five years. “We’re here for long-term growth,” she said. She also has plans to enclose the swimming pool.
She will attend a Choice Hotels International conference to learn about the company’s standards.
The hotel is already doing business and has guests. This weekend, the Buckeye Tole Painters will be there, and Youngstown Dart Association also plans an event this month. Three weddings are also booked, and reservations are being taken for banquets. Sammy also said her family has connections in international tourism and plans to market the Valley’s historical sites and sports as drawing cards.
The hotel has 22 employees, but Sammy expects to employ 80-85 by the end of the year. It has food and liquor licenses.
The hotel taxes are currently $154,000 but may be reduced some based on the selling price.
Jodi Stoyak and Stan Nudell, Liberty trustees, attended the press conference along with Pat Ungaro, township administrator. Stoyak said many people have good memories of family events at the MetroPlex and will be glad to see it’s back in business. “It’s a vital element in the township,” she said, noting its contribution to the tax base.
Nudell said the hotel is in a “strategic point for travelers. ... And travelers also will boost local retail and restaurant sales,” he said.