CHARLOTTE — The $110 million Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte welcomed its first guests on Wednesday, after months of pandemic-driven delays. That luxury boutique hotel initially expected to open in mid-April, but the spread of the coronavirus forced it to push back those plans.
[Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte sets new opening date]
“The stop-start process has been very difficult,” says Hugh Templeman, general manager. “We had to do that because we had to be reflective of the environment that exists in today’s world.”
The hotel had reservations for about 20% of its 254 rooms on Wednesday, with approximately 100 reservations on the books for the weekend, Templeman says.
Roughly 100 people are on staff at the hotel currently — a number which is expected to grow as occupancy increases. That’s key for the hotel to balance the level of service guests expect while being fiscally responsible, he says.
“It’s unprecedented times,” Templeman says. “We’ve decided we’re all in and we’re going to make this happen and be part of the forward momentum of Charlotte.”
Read more and check out photos of the hotel here.