CRM Companies is developing a new hotel for Westerville.
The planned Aloft Hotel will have 101 rooms, and will be located on Westerville's south side, on the site of the former Knight's Inn.
Also planned for Westerville is a new Marriott Hotel—specifically a 224-room Renaissance Marriott Hotel and Conference Center – which is to be located on the city's north side, as part of the Westar Place project. However, Wayne Wellman, who is the founder, president and CEO of CRM, says he believes the two hotels will complement each other, rather than going into competition. He notes that the city cannot entice businesses to hold meetings there if they have no place to stay.
He points out that the new Marriott will have large spaces for conventions, but they will also need extra spaces that give visitors fun things to do, as well as providing additional rooms. The Aloft will be able to accommodate the Marriott's overflow.
Wellman is also happy that the location is close to I-270, which helped make the Knight's Inn successful. He also believes Westerville's downtown area, which now includes Otterbein University, medical offices, and a number of corporations, has been underserved. The new Aloft will fill that need.
Hotel management could work with a banner printing company to create a colorful banner to celebrate Aloft's opening.
