Occupancy at the Parker Inn & Suites has jumped in the two months since the downtown Schenectady boutique hotel came under new management.

 

Since Mazzone Hospitality took over operations at the hotel in September, occupancy has increased from about 45 percent to about 75 percent — no small feat for a hotel whose previous owner declared bankruptcy after struggling to keep the place financially viable after the recession.

 

“And keep in mind it’s only been a couple months,” said Mazzone Hospitality CFO Matt Mazzone. “As we do more things and get up and running, I think we really have the ability to make this a great, viable business in downtown Schenectady.”

 

The hospitality company has a proven track record in managing rooms at its home base at Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia, where it not only has headquarters but also operates an inn, restaurant, lounge bar, private event rooms and a grand ballroom. But the renovations inside the eight-story hotel near Proctors likely helped boost occupancy, too.

 

“We mostly just made it look more modern,” Mazzone said. “It’s a downtown, urban, boutique hotel, so you have to give it that modern look to give guests a great experience.”

 

The lounge and back room that once housed the Alto Grille restaurant got the most work.

 

The floors were torn up and replaced, a new color scheme was added for a more modern look and a “great big” chandelier was installed. A guest lounge features a bar that can host private events like cocktail parties or wine nights, continental breakfast space and workspace for business meetings.

 

Walls were torn down in the back room to create an expanded foyer at Key Hall, a wedding and event venue Mazzone operates right nextdoor. The proximity of Key Hall to the hotel was one of the reasons behind Mazzone’s decision to manage the hotel. Wedding guests can now spend the night next-door.

 

The rooms themselves have been renovated twice in the past 13 years and needed nothing more than some new linens to match the Mazzone brand. There are 22 rooms in all, including a mix of standard rooms with queen-size beds, studios with kitchens, deluxe studios with kitchens and an extra bed, and a presidential suite with a kitchen, seating area and huge bathtub. Rates range from $130 to $190 a night.

 

Previous owner Chris Myers brought in Latham-based Prime Companies in 2012 to transform 17 of the rooms into ExecuStay corporate apartments complete with new floors, kitchens and appliances.

 

“We no longer have the ExecuStay brand,” Mazzone said. “But the rooms are actually really nice. We market them as regular hotel rooms that come with additional amenities.”

 

Myers sold the hotel to local entrepreneurs Jim and Paola Horvath in late 2013. They picked Mazzone Hospitality in late August 2014 to run the hotel, which includes handling all bookings, hiring staff, catering breakfast and room service, and coordinating events.

 

Mazzone is planning a second, smaller round of renovations sometime next year that could include refurbishing some meeting space in the hotel.