MORE PHOTOS: Chancellor Hotel announces Sept. 14 opening date

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 206-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