 $9.2 million renovation begins at UMass Amherst's Campus Center Hotel
Aug. 22, 2008
 AMHERST, Mass. – For the first time since the Campus Center Hotel at the University of Massachusetts Amherst opened its doors in 1970, the facility is undergoing a complete renovation of its guest rooms, lobby and adjoining areas.
According to Meredith Schmidt, director of the Campus Center/Student Union complex, all 116 guest rooms are being gutted and modernized. The remodeling will be completed two floors at a time so that the hotel can remain open and accommodate guests during construction. Work on the initial two floors is scheduled to begin Aug. 22. The tentative completion date is April 2009.
“This is more than just re-carpeting and changing bedspreads—this is a total makeover,” said Schmidt. “We are trying to create a three-star hotel. We know we have location and now we want to offer a very upscale product to the community.”
Instead of one-bedroom or two-bedroom junior suites, the refurbished hotel will offer a mix of room types with new king, queen or double beds. Each room will be outfitted with new desks with ergonomic chairs, dressers, coffee makers, hair dryers, plasma televisions and high-speed Internet connections. Closets with glass doors will be constructed and in the bathrooms, bathtubs will be removed and replaced with walk-in glass showers. Even the room doors will be refinished to a dark walnut color, said Schmidt.
The $7.2 million hotel renovation is being financed through the University of Massachusetts Building Authority. Since the hotel occupies only floors 3-7 in the Campus Center, other infrastructure improvements, such as electrical upgrades, new windows and heat risers, are being made to the entire structure at an additional cost of about $2 million, according to Schmidt.
The Boston office of the international architectural firm Gensler is overseeing the renovation, said Schmidt. “They do hotels all over the world.”
Schmidt said the firm’s renovation plans reflect a conscious respect for Bauhaus architect and influential modernist Marcel Breuer, who designed the Campus Center with his associate Herbert Beckhard.
Eastern General Contractors, Inc. of Springfield is carrying out the modernization project.
Once completed, said David O’Connor, Campus Center Hotel manager, the facility will be well positioned in the local hospitality market. “The number of hotel rooms in the area has doubled in the past five years and we have to be competitive within the region,” he said.
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