Construction and staffing complications have pushed the Otis Hotel’s grand opening date to at least July.
The renovated hotel in the west-end of downtown Spokane, renamed Hotel Indigo, was expected to open in mid-April. However, restrictions from Gov. Inslee’s Stay-Home order halted construction for more than a month.
“The current situation is we’re obviously waiting like everybody else,” said Curtis Rystadt, the hotel’s owner. “It’s been a lot harder than I thought.”
He said he expects the hotel’s 108 rooms and restaurant area will be open for summer travel, but said he still isn’t sure if they’ll be allowed to open then due to Gov. Inslee’s phases of re-opening.
“We could be open sooner, but we’re waiting to see how the steps go and what the restrictions are going to be for occupancy,” Rystadt said.
While the construction team has been able to resume work on the building, some tasks have still been delayed.
“We were about to hire people people, but those people didn’t get hired,” Rystadt said.
He said he still intends to hire those staff, but with restaurants not able to operate at full capacity, everyone might not start work at once.
“That’s not enough business to pay for the lights when you’re that low,” he said.
But he said he’s trusting cabin fever will have people ready to start travelling again as soon as restrictions are lifted.
“People want to get out. I think as human beings, we’re social animals,” he said.
He said the hotel has been renovated to preserve Spokane’s history and will be ready to welcome eager travelers.
“I want people to see how we’ve reflected the past of Spokane from when it was the Willard in 1911, to when it was the Atlantic in 1921 and then the Otis,” Rystadt said.