Suffolk U Dorm Proposal (Ames Hotel Conversion) | 1 Court St | Government Center

In my opinion solving our student housing issue by exacerbating our hotel shortage issue is the wrong way to go...
 
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They better do nothing to make the outside look even slightly different.
 
I had heard rumors that Scape was in the running as well. There is a union presence here which probably limited the number true hotel buyers more than a non-union hotel would, but still interesting to see a private university buying high-end hotels for student housing.

Then again, the number of wealthy foreigners at SU is unbelievable.
 
Bergeron37 said:
I had heard rumors that Scape was in the running as well. There is a union presence here which probably limited the number true hotel buyers more than a non-union hotel would, but still interesting to see a private university buying high-end hotels for student housing.

Then again, the number of wealthy foreigners at SU is unbelievable.
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I still see that trade off as really bad.

Yes, we need student housing (including higher end).

Yes, we need hotel rooms.

But they should not be cannibalizing each other. That is just bad planning. We need conversion from other uses, or new construction, not cannibalization.
 
Bergeron37 said:
I had heard rumors that Scape was in the running as well.
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It will be interesting to see what kind of relationship Scape ultimately cultivates with the Boston area. I could see them making a lot of enemies depending on their treatment of this site and Davis Square. I know there is some grumbling surrounding the Fenway one already. It's still unclear the level of success they will experience here (and in the US overall). Obviously Boston is the right market for them with all the schools, but it's also one of the most notoriously difficult cities to actually build in!
 
JeffDowntown said:
That is just bad planning.
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As much as I agree with you--what possible remedy could there be that doesn't involve blunt/clumsy government interference?

For, taken at face value, this statement suggests that some entity like the BPDA should say to the hotel owner: "sorry, folks: I know your hotel has been a dog for years, siphoning cash off your bottom line with its truly miserable performance. But, you can't be allowed to sell to a college intent on converting it to a student dorm because... that's 'cannibalization.'"

<also, note that this loss of 114 rooms is balanced off by in the immediate 3-block vicinity by the following openings: Godfrey, 242 rooms, Hyatt Centric, 163 rooms, hotel coming to 15-19 Congress St.: 116 rooms when it opens. So that's still a gain of over 400 rooms here, in the past several years, when the 15-19 Congress St. hotel opens>
 
JeffDowntown said:
Yes, we need hotel rooms.

But they should not be cannibalizing each other. That is just bad planning.
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It certainly isn't great. But, i'm not sure its terrible either. Probably something in between.
Converting this to a dorm is great for Suffolk, and bad for Boston & visitors (given the location).

There were 2 Chinatown hotel proposals that have gone quiet.

1. 15 Harrison Avenue/Chinatown hotel 26 stories ~325'

2. 73 Essex St/Chinatown hotel 17 stories ~235'

Building projects like these would be helpful, overall. But, an also important question:
at what point will institutions like Emerson & Suffolk w/ their low tax rates just own too much of the area?
 
odurandina;355821 Building projects like these would be helpful said:
I don't see that either can be expected to grow very much more -- they:
  1. don't have much of an endowment
  2. depend on a local not very expansive demographic

What is their "deal" for the prospective student that makes them in demand?

Boston has lots of colleges a similar situation -- not all will survive and most certainly the ones that will grow will do so by cannibalizing their peers
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Suffolk is financially weak. Its debt exceeds its endowment value. The value of its net assets grew by about $500,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018.

https://www.suffolk.edu/-/media/suf...hash=03516CB9C2F6BC114376CE4B558DBA2AD1687C3D

The audited financial statement has a note that said that Suffolk entered into a two year lease agreement in July 2018 for student housing. Lease ends May 31, 2020. Cost is $9.5 million. Anyone know what building is being leased?
 
stellarfun said:
Suffolk is financially weak. Its debt exceeds its endowment value. The value of its net assets grew by about $500,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018.

https://www.suffolk.edu/-/media/suf...hash=03516CB9C2F6BC114376CE4B558DBA2AD1687C3D

The audited financial statement has a note that said that Suffolk entered into a two year lease agreement in July 2018 for student housing. Lease ends May 31, 2020. Cost is $9.5 million. Anyone know what building is being leased?
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1047 Comm Ave
 
Too bad. I liked staying there. It was a favorite at my firm. Ames still seems to be up and running, and seems to have won some awards, too.

https://curiocollection3.hilton.com/en/hotels/massachusetts/ames-boston-hotel-curio-collection-by-hilton-BOSCUQQ/index.html?WT.mc_id=zLADA0WW1XX2PSH3DA4PPC5PPC6MULTIBR7

Is it not doing well? I remember it was first opened by the Morgans Group (flashy South Beach hotels) and then sold to some local guys that owned/operated some smallish hotels on the South Shore, then to Hilton.

How can Hilton not make a go of it in such a hotel room shortage market like Boston? Proximity to other Hilton properties?
 
Hilton has zero ownership of the Ames...it is simply part of their Curio brand, which as a whole has not done that great.

The hotel was doing ok, it just so happens that the highest bidder has a different business model. And financial district hotels in Boston have never done all that well historically
 
BronsonShore said:
No, that is actually not remotely a problem for having hotels in the area. Or dorms.
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I almost didn't hit submit on that post because I knew I wasn't laying the sarcasm on thick enough for it to come through.

You're right, but that is what a lot of people think of this area.
 
From the duplicate thread:

statler said:
I usually lean toward gown in gown vs town issues (because I believe the schools are generally a net positive for the city) but this kinda sucks.
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@statler can you elaborate? This seems like a good thing from my superficial reading, but I'd be interested to know your concerns.
 
Czervik.Construction said:
Too bad. I liked staying there. It was a favorite at my firm. Ames still seems to be up and running, and seems to have won some awards, too.

https://curiocollection3.hilton.com...?WT.mc_id=zLADA0WW1XX2PSH3DA4PPC5PPC6MULTIBR7

Is it not doing well? I remember it was first opened by the Morgans Group (flashy South Beach hotels) and then sold to some local guys that owned/operated some smallish hotels on the South Shore, then to Hilton.

How can Hilton not make a go of it in such a hotel room shortage market like Boston? Proximity to other Hilton properties?
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I'll agree with liking it as well. Stayed a few times and one of my favorite hotels in the area.

Room rates lately seemed to be running below some of the other major, theoretically comparable properties, which was nice for me (and my employer who was paying), but probably not an indication that the hotel was doing exceptionally well.

It did have some potential disadvantages as a hotel, though:

- The on-site restaurant/bar (leased to a restaurateur) abruptly went belly-up with a string of unfortunate issues earlier this year (liquor license mistakes, IIRC), which took that off as an amenity. I'm sure they could have gotten it reopened eventually, but no bar and no food is definitely going to hurt you. I am very partial to the Ginger Man (bar) nearby, so not something that mattered to me on a personal level.

- Valet parking only and they stored the cars off-site. If you used it, it would take a fairly substantial amount of time to get your car if you didn't call ahead.

- Some aspects of the room design looked nice but may not have gone over all too well. Particularly the glass shower arrangement that was visible to the rest of the room. You could close a curtain, but even with it closed, it would likely be very awkward if you were sharing the room with someone who wasn't a romantic partner.

- I could be wrong, but I don't think there was a pool. Which isn't surprising given the property, but again, one less item on the checklist.

- I'm not entirely sure the average person (or even business traveler) knows where the "Curio" selection of properties sits in the Hilton hierarchy. Might lead to it being skipped over.
 
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