The Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted David Sangree, H&LA’s President, in a recently published article about hotels in downtown Cleveland undergoing renovations in advance of the Republican National Convention that is set to take place in the summer of 2016. 

BY:Susan Glasser
PUBLISHED: October 2015

Cleveland’s fancy, new hotels are spotlight stealers, grabbing tons of attention in the run-up to the Republican National Convention in July.

But the region’s existing hotel stock – including some historic beauties – deserves a share of the limelight, too.

Many of the area’s existing hotels are sprucing up their properties prior to next summer’s big political party.

And while the RNC is likely not a primary motivation for the expenditure – hotels routinely upgrade their properties at regular intervals anyway – the convention may provide an impetus to speed up a timeline, shift staff around and otherwise plan for some of the busiest hospitality days this area has ever seen.

“Of course, they all hope to benefit from the publicity and the revenue during the convention,” said David Sangree, president of Hotel & Leisure Advisors, a Cleveland hospitality consultancy.

And though he said the convention probably isn’t driving new spending by hotel owners, it may push properties to accelerate their investments, particularly in areas that generate revenue, such as new bars or restaurants.

To read the entire article, click here.