By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor
It may seem as if there is a lot of work still to be done, but the highly anticipated opening of Hotel Covington is just a few weeks away.
A hard hat tour of the upscale hotel in downtown Covington Tuesday provided a glimpse of the property that is expected to be a linchpin of the city’s ongoing Renaissance.
The $22 million Hotel Covington, located at 638 Madison Avenue, in the Coppin Building, is a collaboration between the Salyers Group and Aparium Hotel Group.
Salyers Group president Guy van Rooyen said Aparium Hotel Group was chosen as a partner because they bring hyperlocal sensitivity to projects.
“It’s a dream come true of ours to really create a catalytic project, not just for the community, but for the region,” van Rooyen said. “We also were very intent on preserving the wonderful historic fabric of this building.”
The space, which housed Coppin’s Department Store for most of its 109 years, was also home to Covington City Hall for a time.
While the hotel is on schedule to open in late August, it takes a little imagination, and some detailed renderings, to envision the finished project.
The ground floor which includes the lobby, a private dining area, the kitchen, a business center, a lounge areas in five bays a bar and retail space, still needs a lot of cosmetic work.
General Manager Jack Olshan said a group from Aparium’s Charmont Property in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and assured him, “this is what it looks like” when you are 30 or 45 days away.
There’s no walls to be built here: we’re flooring lighting, finishing and furnishing away from this being finished,” Olshan said. “The first floor is one of the last to be completed because we don’t want to damage the wood floors, the light fixtures, or any of the furniture. They are in the home stretch on the rooms.”
Hotel Covington will include 13 suites and 101 standard rooms on eight floors.
The full-service Coppin’s Restaurant and Bar will feature elevated American fare, and the lobby bar will also offer a late night dining menu.
Olshan said the menu will also include local favorites, such as goetta, but with an upscale twist.
Executive Chef Brendan Haren, who has worked in Cincinnati, but lived in Northern Kentucky for the last eight years, said there will be a strong emphasis on local purveyors.
“I’ve been working with some of these purveyors for the last 15 years, so my job is just to make (their) products shine and to showcase the beautiful stuff that they do,” Haren said.
“That gateway from the North to the South is really what we are focusing on.”
The property will also include an event lawn capable of accommodating crowds of 250 people.
Van Rooyen said the partners were very intent on preserving the wonderful historic fabric of the building, which had been underutilized since Coppin’s closed 28 years ago. Less than 20 percent of the building was being used by the city.
“It had such incredible vines and such incredible history,” van Rooyen said. “We wanted to develop it into that independent boutique hotel that would bring out the historic shine, so we could play out the nature of John Coppin and all he did for this region.”
The Knowledge Suites, for example are named for the horse that allowed Coppin to complete the department store.
As the story goes, Coppin was running low on funds and got a tip about a horse who only ran well in really poor conditions.
Coppin took what money he had left, headed to the old Latonia Race Course and bet it all on the horse, name Knowledge, which won.
“(He had) money pouring out of his coat, pouring out of his pants, as the story goes and the rumor is that construction started the next day,” Olshan said. “When you see some of our branding that says, “It all started with a horse named knowledge,” that’s the story.”
The Knowledge Suite, one of five room designs, offers views of downtown Covington.
Other models include the Roebling Suite, which faces the namesake Suspension Bridge, with views of downtown Cincinnati, the Coppin King, the Madison Deluxe King and the Queen City Queen.
“There’s going to be a lot of details in all the rooms and when you see it, you may not realize that it’s part of the story,” Olshan said. “But with only 30 seconds of information from one of our team members, you’re going to know how it all ties together.”
Each room, for example will include a Magic Eight Ball, the inventor of which was from Cincinnati, and a deck of Uno cards, which originated in Cincinnati.
“For the first time in region we will have a space that curates all of our experiences,” Kirkpatrick said. “We can bring our visitors, our meeting planners and they can really understand the NKY story.”
The lower level of the hotel will include the Eva G. Farris Ballroom a 2,900-square-foot space that seats 200 and will be used for wedding receptions and other large gatherings.
An area at the main entrance will be filled in with glass to allow a bride or keynote speaker to make a grand entry.
“It’s hard for a bride or groom to walk into this space to say, this is where I want to have my wedding,” Olshan said. “It’s a blessing and a curse to be in this construction phase. Once we get this place finished, this is going to be a wedding powerhouse with the Madison Event Center.”
While the traffic generated from Hotel Covington should prop up many downtown businesses, the biggest benefactor will be the Madison Event Center, located right across the street.
The hotel and ballroom provide a perfect complement for the 80,000 guests that attend 450 weddings and 150 other events at the Madison Event Center.
Hotel Covington has booked more than 3,000 rooms in the first few months after opening, primarily in blocks reserved for wedding parties.
The lower level will also include the Duveneck Meeting Room, with a seating capacity of 50, which will be used for smaller events or board meetings, and a fitness room. The hotel also has an agreement with a local fitness facility for guests looking for a more rigorous workout.
Hotel Covington received $3.3 million in historic tax credits to assist with the renovation of the building.
Price points for rooms will be seasonally adjusted, but are expected to fall in the $189 to $329 price range.
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com