Bobby Ferrell, the newest member of the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission, looks out over downtown Fayetteville during a recent tour of the top floor of the Chancellor Hotel.
Photo: Todd Gill, Flyer staff
The Chancellor Hotel is scheduled to open for business on Friday, Sept. 14 – just in time for the Arkansas-Alabama football game that weekend in Fayetteville.
Alex Jerde (second from right), general manager of the Chancellor Hotel, discusses the renovation project with (from left) A&P commissioner Bobby Ferrell, A&P operations manager Matt Clement, Town Center facilities manager Sandra Bennett, and Town Center director of sales Lynn Gill.
Photo: Todd Gill
The 207-room hotel, formerly known as the Cosmopolitan Hotel, at 70 N. East Ave. in downtown Fayetteville, has been undergoing a major renovation since mid-November.
The complete, top-to-bottom redesign and renovation includes replacement and updating of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems as well as all furniture, fixtures and equipment. The hotel will feature a completely updated facade, dramatic entryway with landscaping, a contemporary lobby area and a brand new lobby bar and restaurant.
Guest rooms and suites will feature pillow top mattresses, flat panel HDTVs, free high-speed wi-fi and custom procured artwork.
Also on tap is a new 14,000-square-foot conference center and an indoor/outdoor salt water swimming pool.
The Chancellor Hotel
Photo: Todd Gill
The new restaurant and bar, Union Kitchen + Drinks, will feature a New American menu from local restauranteur Scott Bowman, who owns two Theo’s locations in Northwest Arkansas and East Side Grill in Fayetteville.
The project is a joint venture between Mississippi-based Dawn Properties Inc. and Bedrock Commercial Partners of Little Rock. The hotel will be operated by Arizona-based Prima Hospitality, LLC.
Commissioners and employees of the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission got an early look at the progress inside the hotel before the group’s regularly scheduled meeting on Monday. During the tour, hotel officials said advance bookings for the first four weeks of operation are already on track for 80-percent occupancy.
Photos from the top floor of the Chancellor Hotel
Misc. photos/outtakes
This is very good news for Fayetteville, and the improvements are impressive. Bonus that Scott Bowman will be handling kitchen duty.
I wish this group would have considered a roof top bar/restaurant. This would have been a nice addition to the city and in a great area.
Any more pics from the top? I bet a lot of people wonder what the view is like from up there.
You got it. Just added some photos to the bottom of the story.
Nice. Thanks!
That’s funny. I was going to ask for more pictures of the actual renovation. Any more of those? :)
The place wasn’t really ready for any fancy renovation photos. The furniture wasn’t yet assembled and there weren’t any beds in the rooms we visited. The lobby and bar area were still coming together, too. That said, I’ve added a few photos of that stuff and some outtakes. Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks for posting those. Those photos show the progress. Looks like they are making it really cool.
Great to see the hotel moving forward with a pretty cool redesign. Another improvement to make Fayetteville downtown a Destination….
Nice upgrade guys!
Thanks for all the extra pics Todd!
I totally agree. A rooftop bar would be awesome. Maybe if there is enough public interest in this, something might happen.
Will they be rehiring the dozens of employees who were abruptly fired when renovations began?
I agree with JZU and Shoryuken, a rooftop bar/restaurant would be a great idea with that view. Definitely something special.
When I was living in Chicago my go to spot when visitors came to town was the bar at the top of the Hancock tower. I know this wouldn’t be the same as that but it could be unique to Fayetteville and it offers great views. We can see that easily enough in these pictures.
Scott Bowman is handling the food? Stick to booze bro.
This is great news for the Fayetteville Arts District.
Great news, though I think it’s VERY risky to open up for a big game weekend before all the bugs are ironed out.
What will be on the top floor?