BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A fulfilling experience for officials at HARBORCENTER arrived Thursday morning as their project to transform the waterfront and skyline came full circle.
Once a 250 space parking lot, the spot next to the First Niagara Center has transformed into a destination for athletes and tourists alike. The Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTER has wrapped up construction, and it's the last piece of the puzzle at this $200 million complex.
"Everybody's been working so hard for the last three years,” said hotel General Manager Huseyin Taran. “We have a couple of our guests checking in this afternoon, we are all ready and pumped!"
Each of the 205 rooms are a sight to see. There's the crème de la crème, the Presidential Suite, which is the size of four normal rooms with a large kitchen and conference area, but that'll run you $1,500 a night. Standard queen and king and corner suites are also available. All have spectacular views of the waterfront, downtown skyline, and out toward the suburbs.
Rooms have also been designed to have a home away from home feel with modern amenities.
"All of our guest rooms have iHome radios with Bluetooth capability so you don't have to hook up your phone to music,” added Taran. “We have the new TV entertainment system which you can sign into your Netflix account and watch movies streaming.”
In addition to many of the neat features geared toward millennials at the hotel you'll also notice a cool, contemporary design with many of the pieces picked out by Kim Pegula herself.
"You'll see all the artwork installed here, Kim worked with a local company to procure the art and also used a lot of local artist product here,” said Sabres VP of Arena Operations Stan Makowski.
Although Terry has yet to tour the finished product, Makowski said the Pegulas are proud to present this completed "gift" to the city.
"Just a testament to the commitment that Terry and Kim have to the City of Buffalo and the development in the city,” added Makowski. “And all the men and women who worked so hard on this project over the last couple of years and literally built it from the ground up."
The hotel is in the midst of a soft opening, welcoming guests and new reservations. A grand opening and ribbon cutting will be held on September 21.