A landmark on Route 70
by: JENNIFER KELLEY
5/30/2006
A landmark on Route 70 for 31 years, the Hilton Cherry Hill is under an agreement of sale that will transfer ownership to the Bellmawr-based Northstar Hotels Group. Once the deal is final, the storied structure – considered the largest hotel in South Jersey – will become a Crowne Plaza, under a franchise within the world’s largest hotel group, InterContinental.
The change of ownership is expected to take tomorrow, said hotel General Manager Jordan Cooper, with $5 million in renovations soon to follow.
“We’ll be redoing the ballrooms, the meeting spaces, the lobby, the restaurants, aspects of the guestrooms, such as the bathrooms – we’re redoing a lot,” Cooper said, adding that renovations will be taking place and completed over the course of the next year.
The hotel’s doors will stay open during the facility’s transformation, and the 220 full- and part-time employees will retain their jobs and salaries, Cooper said.
“Growth of the brand is a top priority for Crowne Plaza in 2006, especially in markets that are popular meeting places,” said Kevin Kowalski, vice president of brand management for Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts. “With more than 400 rooms and significant meeting space, this is a significant addition to the Crowne Plaza portfolio. While we certainly cater to leisure and individual business travelers, we are known as a ‘meetings hotel’ throughout the industry, and this property is perfectly suited for guests and meeting attendees.”
Kowalski added that the company expects successful occupancy rates as a result of the millions of dollars to be invested in enhancements on the property as well as amenities exclusive to Crowne Plaza, such as its holistic Sleep Advantage program and a planned Bath Experience initiative.
The change in ownership and branding happens to be occurring in conjunction with the revitalization of the Route 70 area surrounding the hotel. The former Garden State Park site is in the midst of a remarkable reconstruction effort, which is yielding a new retail center, restaurants and residential units. The Cherry Hill Mall is also planning its own revitalization of sorts by updating its look with a structural face-lift. The details of that transformation will be announced by early summer, said Art Campbell, president of the Cherry Hill Regional Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, the township’s first redevelopment zone was recently sold to Mercedes-Benz of Cherry Hill, which built a new 50,000-square-foot facility on Route 70. The Cherry Hill Towers, which replaced the dilapidated apartments across from the mall, are another example of redevelopment in the area of the hotel.
“In five years, you won’t even recognize Cherry Hill,” Campbell said. “The township is going through a rebirth, the likes of which it hasn’t seen in 30 years – the changes will have a very dramatic impact on the town. (The hotel’s new owners) are buying into the property at a great time.”
Campbell noted that the planned renovations set to take place in the hotel show that “the Crowne Plaza (and its investors) are committed to making a solid investment in the property and in the township. They won’t just be caretaker owners. They’ve also made a commitment to keep the current staff in place, which is a huge positive,” he said, adding that the Chamber’s experience with the Hilton has been “wonderful, and we’re glad they recognize what an exceptional staff the hotel has.
“As long as the service level stays strong, the food remains good and the vibe with the community is positive, they’ll be successful here.”
Mayor Bernie Platt also told The Sun he sees the change of ownership at the Hilton and subsequent renovations as a “great event for the township. The Crowne Plaza is a very fine chain of hotels, and we’re very excited about the money they’re vowing to put into the building for improvements; it will certainly be a drawing point to Cherry Hill,” he said. “Not that it’s not a first-class hotel now, but it will soon be a premier destination.”
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