DoubleTree Won’t Open Until Restaurant Is Ready

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Work on the $32 million DoubleTree by Hilton downtown should be finished by the end of March, but the opening of the new hotel is delayed until the first week of May so construction could be finished on a new first-floor restaurant, a hotel spokeswoman said.

“The hotel will be ready to go, but we want to open with the restaurant in order to give guests that option,” said Amy Liakaris, director of sales.

The new restaurant, named Bistro 1907, is scheduled for completion the first week of May, Liakaris said, but she said that tours would be available through the month of April so the public could see the rooms and the amenities inside the hotel.

Liakaris said the new restaurant owner from the local area came on board about a month ago, and the hotel wanted to make a strong first impression with both entities opening together. “They’ll be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she said.

NYO Property Group is spearheading the renovation of the landmark Stambaugh Building to accommodate the DoubleTree flag.

Dominic Marchionda, CEO of NYO Property Group, was indicted Oct. 2 on charges that he allegedly diverted grant monies he secured from the city for his own personal use. The indictment is related to three earlier projects – the Flats at Wick, Erie Terminal Place, and Wick Towers – and not the Stambaugh hotel project.

Marchionda resigned Nov. 15 as manager of Youngstown Stambaugh Holdings LLC, the development company overseeing the DoubleTree project, but remains active in the project.

When finished, the 12-story Stambaugh Building will include 125 guest rooms that fill the third through 11 floors. Eighteen of these rooms are suites outfitted with amenities such as mini-refrigerators, a safe, double beds, a sitting area and a sleeper sofa bed.

Along with the new restaurant, the first floor plans to house a bank and coffee shop to be operated by Branch Street Coffee Roasters, a Boardman company.. The second floor will serve as the hotel lobby, and include a business center, breakfast area, a sundry shop, and meeting rooms.

The top floor of the building will accommodate a 4,200 square-foot banquet center and ballroom overlooking the downtown.

Liakaris said the hotel is now accepting event bookings and its website and reservation system should be activated within the next several weeks.

“We’re very excited,” she said. “We’ve received great feedback from the community and have bookings for May and into 2019,” she reported.

Copyright 2020 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.