UPPER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — A hotel in Upper Macungie Township has a new look.
The hotel that used to be the Holiday Inn Conference Center has been completely renovated and rebranded as Delta by Marriott Allentown Lehigh Valley.
The hotel held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.
- Delta by Marriott Allentown Lehigh Valley held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday
- The hotel used to be called the Holiday Inn Conference Center, but it has been completely renovated and rebranded
- Renovations started in 2019 and were expected to take 18 months, but the coronavirus pandemic prolonged the project
The hotel, at 7736 Adrienne Drive, has 185 rooms, more than 11,000 square feet of meeting space and a restaurant called STAY.
UntitledDenise Maiatico, Lehigh Valley Regional Vice President of MJ Hotel, said the hotel has been open and operating since April 29, but waited to hold the ceremony because there were some concerns with filling staff positions.
“We want to get to the point where we felt really comfortable showing off the property,” Maiatico said.
The hotel now is fully staffed, Maiatico said.
“This hotel has been a staple of our community for such a long time. We all know how many times we've been here for different events, celebrations, all different types of things. But now it has brand new life.”
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie
Delta by Marriott Allentown Lehigh Valley partnered with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce for the ceremony.
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-187th District, attended the ceremony.
“This hotel has been a staple of our community for such a long time,” Mackenzie said. “We all know how many times we've been here for different events, celebrations, all different types of things. But now it has brand new life.”
The management company for the hotel, MJ Hotels, asked attendees to bring flashlights and batteries to the event. The company then donated them to VALOR Clinic Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps veterans access benefits and secure housing.
Renovating the hotel
The hotel site originally was built in 1988 as the Holiday Inn Conference Center and operated for 30 years.
In 2019, MJ Hotels began a complete renovation and re-branding to convert the property into a Marriott hotel. The pandemic prolonged the project; Maiatico said the renovation was originally going to take 18 months, but based on the availability of workers and materials, it took about 30 months.
According to Maiatico, Delta by Marriott Allentown Lehigh Valley currently ranks No. 1 for guest experience out of the 59 other Delta by Marriott hotels in the United States and Canada.