AMHERST, N.Y.
Iskalo Development Corp.'s remake of the Lord Amherst Hotel into Reikart House will be part of Marriott International’s Tribute Portfolio when it opens in August.
The 92-room hotel on Main Street will be the first hotel in New York State to operate as part of Marriott's Tribute Portfolio of hotels. Its new restaurant, Jazzboline, will open in 2018.
The new designation allows participating hotels to remain independent in their branding while benefiting from Marriott's marketing, sales and customer loyalty programs.
Marriott has opened 19 hotels in nearly two years as part of the Tribute group in locations such as Palm Springs, Paris, Miami and Mendoza.
"We are thrilled to pair the distinct, historic charm of Reikart House with the Tribute Portfolio brand," Paul B. Iskalo, the development firm's president and CEO, said in a statement.
Iskalo said the new partnership would help the hotel reach a broader audience with the benefit of the Marriott guest loyalty program.
Owned by Iskalo, the high-end Reikart will be operated by Greenwood Hospitality Group. It is named for vaudeville musicians Frank and Dolly Reikart, who settled in Amherst in the early 1900s. The hotel's logo is modeled after the couple's Capuchin monkey.
The former motor lodge and restaurant, which were designed by architect Duane Lyman and operated for 50 years, have undergone a $19.9 million renovation. The project followed the opening of Iskalo's newly constructed 137-room Hyatt Place on the same property.
The new hotel will offer complimentary breakfast and butler service. Jazzboline, the new restaurant with a bar and events venue, is named for a musical instrument that Frank Reikart invented. The hotel and restaurant will have more than 6,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
