The Rochester Riverside Hotel will close early next year. Owner and developer Dave Christa says that owners have been looking at options for several months now, and those discussions are still at an early stage.
Word of the pending closure of the hotel didn’t shock some of the local officials WXXI News spoke with including Don Jeffries, the president and CEO of the tourism group, Visit Rochester.
Even though the Riverside has more than 400 rooms, he says at this point, conventions that planned to come into the Rochester area later next year have already been accommodated.
“We had 24 groups booked into Rochester, some of them at the Riverside and we have successfully moved every one of those groups to other hotels in the downtown area and not one of them has canceled. So we’re still open for business, we’re going to book meetings, we’re going to book conventions, so this will have some effect but not a major effect,” Jeffries said.
And Jeffries notes that, “Most conventions, if people go to conventions are pretty used to being transported to the convention center. And that’s something we’re working with, like the RIT Inn (and Conference Center) and the Doubletree in Henrietta, so we have plenty of hotel rooms to take care of it.”
Bob Duffy, who is the president and CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, says he has confidence that local leaders and the developer will work toward enhancing that part of the downtown area.
“Tf this is a decision being made by the owners, it’s probably a very good one for the future of downtown and I look forward to working with the mayor and other leaders downtown to support whatever will enhance downtown and enhance our ability to bring more people down to enjoy our river and our beautiful center city," Duffy said.
The City of Rochester released this statement:
"We are aware of the Rochester Riverside Hotel’s decision regarding operations in 2020. Mayor Warren is working with business leaders and government partners to revitalize this important location at the intersection of our Main Street and the Genesee River. We are hopeful that together we can make the future of this site greater than its past.”
