New Hotels Open in the Heartland

NATIONAL REPORT—Properties are opening in the U.S. heartland. Here’s a look:

Cyrus Hotel Coming to Topeka, KS

Aparium Hotel Group will open the Cyrus Hotel in January.

Located in downtown Topeka, KS, the 109-room hotel will combine prominent historic buildings with a modern new-build tower and will mark the first boutique lifestyle hotel in the city. The property will also include The Weather Room, a flagship ground-floor restaurant and bar, including an outdoor patio, as well as meeting and event spaces.

The hotel is steps away from the forthcoming Downtown Topeka Plaza, a $9.5 million revitalization project inclusive of gardens, performance spaces, a splash park and an ice rink, set to be completed in 2020. Its location situates the hotel in close proximity to the Kansas State Capitol Visitor Center, Topeka Performing Arts Center, the Jayhawk theatre, and more.

Named for Cyrus K. Holliday, a Civil War hero and pioneer of the Transcontinental Railroad who literally put Topeka on the map, Cyrus Hotel incorporates a contemporary design with a dash of Midwestern charm. Designed by Avenir Creative, in partnership with Architect One, the property employs a warm and earthy color palette and striking patterns inspired by the prairie landscape and Hollidays’ military career.

In keeping with Aparium’s “translocal hospitality” philosophy, Cyrus Hotel collaborated with local businesses and purveyors to provide on-site offerings and amenities, including small-batch chocolates from Hazel Hill Chocolate, premium popcorn from Cashmere Gourmet Popcorn, wines from boutique winery KC Wine Co., beer varieties from The Iron Rail Brewery, Blind Tiger, Happy Basset Brewing Co. and Norsemen Brewing Company, single-origin specialty coffees and blends from PT’s Coffee, and hand-picked fruit from Rees Fruit Farm.

Sleep Inn Expands to Oklahoma City

Choice Hotels International Inc. continues to expand the footprint of its midscale Sleep Inn brand with the opening of an 82-room, four-story hotel in Yukon, OK.

The hotel is a short drive to the state capital and the Oklahoma City Airport. The hotel is near several leisure attractions, including the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Sandridge Sky Trail, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and the popular OKC Outlets shopping center. The property is also near the historic Route 66, which runs through Downtown Yukon, and West Main Street, where visitors can experience local dining and entertainment.

The property is owned and operated by Star Lodging LLC.

Two Hyatts Set to Open on the Mississippi

Situated along the Mississippi River in East Moline, IL, Hyatt Place East Moline/Quad Cities and Hyatt House East/Moline Quad Cities opened this month.

The twin nine-story hotels offer upscale comforts for both leisure and business travelers, a distinctive ninth floor lounge with panoramic river views, as well as access to miles of unobstructed riverfront and a bald eagle habitat.

The Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels anchor The Bend, a master-planned mixed-use development that brings retail, lodging, restaurants, apartments, offices and other amenities to a 132-acre site. With three acres of greenspace, including a mile of waterfront along the river and miles of river pathways along the Great River Trail, business and leisure travelers can enjoy immediate access to the nature and beauty of the Mississippi River. Additionally, the hotels will provide a prime spot for viewing the impressive display of bald eagles wintering in their natural riverside habitat from December through March.

Managed by Olympia Hotel Management, the 134-room Hyatt and 99-room Hyatt House properties offer business and leisure guests a choice of two different hotel experiences under one roof.

Graduate Bloomington Opens

The six-story, 150-room Graduate Bloomington hotel opened recently in Indiana, near the campus of Indiana University.

The hotel’s design honors the city’s welcoming and charming personality and pays tribute to its famed basketball culture and team spirit. A selection of more than 20 exclusive wallpapers adorn the hotel walls; a Tibetan pattern honors the Dalai Llama’s many visits to the community, while a custom bicycle wallpaper is a nod to Little 500. Guests will find a delightful crossword puzzle floor inspired by IU-alum Will Shortz who is the current crossword puzzle editor at The New York Times.

The hotel’s lobby is outfitted with a collection of bleachers sourced from the local gyms and chandeliers made from vintage basketball hoops to celebrate Indiana basketball. Throughout the hotel guests will find references to the classic film Hoosiers such as picket-fence blankets, championship banners and keycards featuring movie characters. Each detail throughout the hotel was hand selected to honor the university culture and local community.