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February 28, 2019

Downtown Hartford’s Red Roof Inn transforming into upscale, boutique hotel

HBJ Photo | Joe Cooper The Red Roof Inn, at 440 Asylum St. in downtown Hartford, is currently being renovated into an upscale boutique hotel.

Downtown Hartford’s Red Roof Inn is being recast with a new name and major renovations that aim to upscale the venue into a boutique hotel, local officials said.

Rebranded as The Capitol Hotel, a nod to its proximity to the state Capitol at 440 Asylum St., the facility is currently undergoing a full-scale renovation with upgrades being made to all 96 rooms.

The cost of the renovation was not revealed.

The hotel previously operated as a Holiday Inn Express, which closed in 2014, before California-based overseers Packard Hospitality Group LLC renovated and reopened it in April 2016 under Red Roof’s “PLUS+” brand. It’s now ditching that flag to become part of the Ascend Hotel Collection, which is owned by Choice Hotels International. Choice Hotels has more than 7,000 hotel franchises worldwide.

The Capitol Hotel’s renovations are slated for completion in March, and the economy hotel will be upscaled into a boutique venue, which are rare downtown.

“We are going to be on par with the Goodwin Hotel,” said Scott Fitzherbert, the hotel’s director of sales. “It’s going from a budget brand hotel to a high-end hotel.”

The hotel will continue operating without a restaurant or bar, although beer and wine will be sold to guests in the main lobby. Continental breakfast is also served for guests.

Rates have apparently increased at The Capitol Hotel, with rooms ranging between $119 to $134 for one- and two-bedroom units, according to ChoiceHotels.com.

Temporary signage was added to the building this week noting the hotel name change.

The facility upgrades will be completed in time for the influx of guests attending the 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament being held at the XL Center.

The Capitol Hotel debuts as Greater Hartford’s hospitality sector has steadily grown in recent years. Between 2012 and Aug. 2018, the average occupancy rates in the region grew 11 percent and average daily room rates jumped 18 percent, according to market data firm STR.

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