GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – You’ll have the opportunity to make Valentine’s Day plans with your special someone at the Historic Hotel Northland in downtown Green Bay.
Hotel officials announced Thursday that both the 95-year-old hotel and their Walnut Room dining area will open on February 14.
“This property revitalization has been a labor of love by so many people,” general manager John Williams says in a news release. “It’s a fitting tribute that we are now opening our doors to guests on February 14 as a valentine to a community that’s waited years for this hotel’s return.”
Renovations to the 160-room hotel began in December 2015, but were put on hold for almost a year due to financial issues.
Work on the hotel resumed in late 2017 with the city saying that the hotel had to open by the end of 2018 to receive federal and state tax credits.
Last month city leaders said the project will still receive $14 million in tax credits, because it was granted its certificate of occupancy in time.
“Today, the fully restored and richly appointed Hotel Northland stands as a return to grand hospitality,” says Williams in a release. “It offers modern amenities, gracious service, and an upscale style that beautifully complements the restored mosaic tile floors, gleaming walnut paneling, and stunning chandeliers.”
The hotel’s sports bar, Poke the Bear, opened last month but the hotel and Walnut Room dining area remained a work in progress at that time.
Williams says they fully wanted to have the hotel open by the end of 2018, but weren’t able to get that done due to a number of factors. He says one major factor stands out.
“It’s the receipt of furniture,” explains Williams. “Things were ordered with a short lead time and some deliveries were not able to be made and that’s really what caused the delay.”
While the wait was difficult for hotel officials, they add that it pales in comparison to the patience that has been demonstrated by residents.
“People here in Green Bay have been waiting five years for this,” he says.
The Walnut Room will be open for breakfast and dinner featuring locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.
“Not overpriced, not pretentious, not stuffy,” says Williams. “The day’s of the old, overpriced hotel restaurant are gone.”
And the dining spot will be a haven for any wine lover.
“We have two hundred different varieties of wine on the wine list,” he says. “Not two hundred bottles, but two hundred different types of wine.”
Reservations can be made at the hotel’s website or by calling (920) 393-7499.
