[image-1]Kimpton Schofield, the first Kimpton Hotel in Ohio, officially opened last month, but earlier this morning the new downtown hotel hosted its “official grand opening celebration.”
Adam Gurgiolo, the hotel’s general manager, began by welcoming a throng of media and VIPs by joking that he realized many of the attendees were probably pleased that crews had finally taken down the eyesore scaffolding that surrounded the building for such a long time.
“We’re here to show off this incredible building,” said Gurgiolo before turning things over to Mike DeFrino, CEO, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. “Kimpton Hotels is very excited to be here in Cleveland,” he said. “We’re always excited to open a new hotel, but it’s extra special when we get to open a new hotel in a new state. We’re starting to build up different properties in the Midwest and Cleveland was a natural place for us to be.”
Kimpton has a history of rehabbing old buildings, and DeFrino said the company was “especially excited to be in the Schofield building,” which he referred to as "an iconic building.” Mayor Frank Jackson then welcomed Kimpton to Cleveland by talking about how the city is a “great opportunity for investment” that isn’t a large urban center but has all the amenities of a large urban center. “We’re a small city in terms of our character and personality and hospitality,” he said, adding that the hotel would be part of that.
At the press conference’s conclusion, the Elyria High School drumline and state championship cheerleaders traipsed through the hotel’s ballroom to put a punctuation mark on the proceedings, and guests were treated to tours of the hotel.
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