It's a 10-month makeover that will cost $9.5 million, but when the procedure is done, the Inn at Penn will greet its customers with sun-kissed, earth-tone colors and newly renovated facilities.
The University and the Inn at Penn -- a member of the Hilton Hotels group -- are working together to renovate the facility. The building will remain open to guests while work progresses.
Exterior repairs will focus on replacing the windows, while the interior work will involve addressing water-filtration problems, refurnishing guest rooms, replacing the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and taking out the mold behind wallpaper.
"Every few years, they get a facelift in terms of their public spaces and rooms," Facilities and Real Estate Services Senior Vice President Omar Blaik said. He added that the renovation period will allow the hotel to permanently repair any existing utility and facility problems.
Scaffolding and pedestrian walkways were constructed along the length of 36th and Walnut streets last Monday.
Nancy Barag, a spokeswoman for the Inn at Penn, said that 143 rooms will be emptied out by tomorrow, leaving only 95 rooms open to guests. The numbers will be reversed on April 1, allowing the hotel to continue accommodating customers. She does not anticipate noise levels to be a problem for guests since the construction will take place in phases.
"It just feels like home," she said regarding the change guests will feel once the renovations are complete.
In the meantime, hotel managers plan to house as many customers as possible and refer additional guests to nearby hotels, notably the Sheraton University City.
"We'll just take what we can," she said.
Aside from housing cutbacks, the hotel is also reducing its staff while the renovations continue.
Barag said that 23 employees and four managers have been notified of the temporary staff reductions. She said that 14 of the 23 employees volunteered to leave of their own accord. All of these employees will retain their work benefits during this time, and Barag said that the hotel anticipates all employees will resume work once the construction ends.
"If we kept everyone around, they'd all be standing around. There wouldn't be enough rooms to clean," she said.
Hotel employees could not comment on the staff reductions without the permission of the human resources department, which could not be reached.
Since the project is divided into different phases, no section of scaffolding will remain permanent during the construction period. Blaik said that this will hopefully mitigate any inconveniences experienced by retailers located near the construction site.
However, Tatiana Maldener, regional manager for Douglas Cosmetic, located at 3603 Walnut St., said that the scaffolding outside the store has cost it a third of its business in the last week.
She said the effort the store had put into its Christmas decorations has gone to waste, as it is now hidden by a maze of metal posts and pedestrian walkways.
Maldener said that customers have been asking whether the store is in the process of undergoing renovations or closing down.
"Why didn't they do [the renovations] in the summer?" she asked. "We're missing the crucial chunk of our business."
Maldener added that there were no surveys to solicit businesses' feedback on the timing of the project. While she acknowledged that the hotel needed the time and space to renovate its facilities, she did not feel enough consideration was given to her company.
"Morale is down," she said regarding Douglas employees. "They were anticipating great business and customer interaction."
At the moment, no plans have been made to cut back on store staff while the renovations continue.
However, not all nearby retailers are complaining.
"If anything, they'll be more curious, and [it'll] draw some more people in," said Cosi general manager Bill Dixon regarding the scaffolding outside the restaurant at 140 S. 36th St.
"If it takes an eyesore to make it look more aesthetically pleasing, then that's what it takes," he said.
