A makeover from the bottom up is in the works with ongoing renovations at the Sheraton University Hotel and Conference Center.

The Sheraton is renovating 235 guest rooms, expanding the fitness center, redesigning the front desk and building a new club lounge. The hotel restaurants will also be updated. Guest-room renovations are expected to be finished by April and all other projects by December, said Davis Heymann, the general manager.

‘We are on track, but it certainly has been a slow start,’ Heymann said. ‘When you’re waiting for things to ship from overseas, it sometimes gets a little dicey.’

The Sheraton recently resigned its franchise agreement with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, something that happens about every 10 years, Heymann said. After resigning the agreement, Starwood came in and did a review of the Sheraton and asked for the updates to be made. The total cost of the renovations is between $3 million and $3.5 million, Heymann said.

‘After 10 years, there’s a new feeling as to what things should look like and how things should be designed,’ Heymann said.

The hotel will lose one guest room during the renovations because the floor space of the club lounge, located on the top floor, will be expanded. The remaining 235 guest rooms will have all new shower walls, lighting, drapes, blinds and furnishings. The carpets and lighting in the hallways are also being updated. Renovations will be completed floor by floor to minimize disruptions, Heymann said.

The hotel’s two restaurants, Rachel’s Restaurant and Seasons at the Hill, will also see some cosmetic updates, Heymann said.

The schedule was purposely planned to avoid disturbing guests traveling during graduation time in the spring or during spring visits by prospective students, Heymann said. He said now is the time they will be losing opportunities to have as many guests because the construction is just beginning.

The rates in the Sheraton may rise, Heymann said, but that was not the plan when the updates started.

‘We have a newer product, so we certainly expect guests to pay a little more, but ultimately the rates are driven by the market,’ Heymann said.

Sarah Bicky, a senior marketing management major, said by exposing students to a new facility and the demands of a new facility, the renovations in the Sheraton will help give students a different perspective of the hospitality industry.

The renovations could bring added business to the area, said Michele Barrett, the communications manager of the College of Human Ecology.

‘This announcement is positive news, certainly for the campus and community in terms of the increased number of business and leisure travelers who will be drawn to the newly renovated facilities and amenities and who will spend money that will support local businesses,’ Barrett said.

The renovations will also be helpful for students enrolled in the hospitality management program at SU and the event and facilities management program, Barrett said.

With increased business at the Sheraton after the renovations, the number of overnight and extended stays and special events will probably increase. This would presumably increase the number and types of activities student interns would be able to participate in, Barrett said.

The news of renovations in the Sheraton comes while the College of Human Ecology is phasing out the hospitality management major since they stopped accepting new students to the program.  The last students will graduate from the program in 2014, according to a letter to students from the dean of the College of Human Ecology dated May 3.

The decision to end the program will not affect industry-related opportunities inside or outside the classroom, according to the letter.

‘The same opportunities students have had in the past related to internships and industry work experience at the Sheraton and other organizations,’ Barrett said, ‘will continue for students in the hospitality management program.’

medelane@syr.edu

Published on January 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Meghin: medelane@syr.edu | @meghinwithani