APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An iconic, downtown Appleton hotel is getting a refresh.
The Red Lion Hotel Paper Valley on College Avenue will open its doors as Hilton Appleton Paper Valley.
The hotel’s general manager, Linda Garvey says the rebranding is welcomed news.
Garvey says 388 full-service hotel room renovations should be done by January 2022.
The hotel is working on 100 rooms at a time to replicate the showroom.
Guestrooms, lobby, public areas, and event spaces will be renovated.
As the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley, it will offer 38,000 square feet of meeting space, including 26 function rooms and an outdoor courtyard area. Guests can enjoy a heated, indoor swimming pool, fitness center and complimentary shuttle to and from the airport. Guests also choose to dine at any of the five restaurants and lounges on-site, including the award-winning Vince Lombardi’s Steakhouse.
“What we have here now with the Hilton organization is global recognition – everybody knows the Hilton or they should know the Hilton name, and with that is a standard that is expected globally,” said Garvey.
Appleton Mayor Jacob Woodford agrees that the Hilton brand coming to the city carries some weight.
“I think it makes a clear statement about where we are in the city of Appleton, this is a place where companies want to make investments,” said Woodford.
Woodford says the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley will still be under the current Fox Cities Exhibition Center operating agreement.
He hopes the revamp will attract people to the convention center after a long 18 months of the pandemic.
“We were worried about the hospitality and service sector in general during the pandemic,” said Woodford.
Executive Director of Fox Valley Visitors Bureau, Pam Seidl, says the Hilton’s partnership can help Downtown Appleton bounce back.
“It’s really a signature move for this community, especially in an industry that’s been so devastated by this pandemic, to really see people investing in a hotel is a signal not only for the tourism economy but our local economy forward,” said Seidl.
Seidl says she hopes the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley will open more doors for the Fox Valley community.
The property will remain a Red Lion Hotel until the Hilton conversion in late 2021. For reservations, click here.
The hotel has changed hands over the years. Prior to Red Lion, the hotel was operated by Radisson.
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