LaSalle Hotel getting a makeover including renovations of rooms and new plaza

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Known for its 1920s charm, the LaSalle hotel in downtown Bryan is getting a new look.

After Marriott purchased the hotel a year ago, the franchise is remodeling a handful of hotels across the U.S.

The owner of the hotel, Jeremy Buffam, says they are renovating the inside and out of the historic stay.

“We’re redoing all of the guest rooms, all the bathrooms, a lot of the lobby, and most of the furniture, if not all of it. The finishes, and also some investment into some of the mechanical systems of the hotel, the chiller and hot water and some of those types of things, and the kitchen equipment as well,” he said.

The construction for the hotel will take about 4 to 5 months, so it is estimated to finish by late February. Once the renovations are complete, the architectural landmark will keep its historic atmosphere.

“We do intend to retain as much history as possible including the building facade and the appearance as you arrive at the hotel,” Buffam said.

Quinn Meredith, the Director of Project Management, says a lot of work goes into preserving the hotel.

“There’s a lot of detail that goes into that, to saving the historical value of the hotel, so that alone is a task and a feat. So we’re taking a great caution to save everything,” said Meredith.

Rather than throw all the furniture out, the LaSalle Hotel is partnering with Habitat for Humanity during its revamping process.

Meredith says that as they go floor by floor, each furniture piece will go to Habitat.

“Habitat is helping us out. They’re coming in, they’re liquidating a lot of our furniture for us and taking it back to their warehouse and then they’ll sell it off to raise funds for habitat for humanity,” he said.

Meredith is excited for the end result and gives credit to his team for all their help.

“You know, I come in at the very beginning and I see what it used to look like and then at the end of it, I’ve got something tangible to say ‘hey I was part of that process, I was part of that team, and it’s always proud being part of the construction project,” he said.

This is a multi-million dollar project, estimating to cost over six figures per room for the makeover.