Omni Hotels & Resorts

History

Dunfey Hotels was founded in 1958, when the Dunfey brothers added a 32-room motel to their Lamie's Tavern restaurant property in Hampton, New Hampshire. They soon established a hotel chain throughout New England, including 14 Sheraton Hotels franchises in 1964. In 1968, the Dunfeys acquired the near-bankrupt Parker House Hotel in Boston. In 1971, the brothers sold Dunfey Hotels to the Hartford-based Aetna Life Insurance Company, which retained the brothers to manage the properties. In 1976, Aer Lingus, the national airline of Ireland, purchased Dunfey Hotels from Aetna.

In 1983, Dunfey Hotels acquired the small Atlanta-based Omni International Hotels chain from Cousins Properties. The chain had been formed in 1973 and consisted of three hotels in Atlanta, Norfolk and Miami. Dunfey Hotels was reorganized into two operating divisions, with Omni Hotels focusing on large, upscale modern hotels, while the remaining smaller motels and Sheraton franchises were branded as Dunfey Hotels while they were divested over the following three years.

In 1988, Aer Lingus sold Omni Hotels to World International Holdings, Ltd., and the Hong Kong–based conglomerate The Wharf (Holdings) Limited for $135 million. Those companies, in turn, sold Omni in February 1996 to Texas-based private equity investor Robert Rowling of TRT Holdings, who moved the chain's headquarters for the very first time, from Hampton to his own base of Corpus Christi, Texas. The following year, Omni's headquarters moved again, to Dallas.

In 2000, Omni Hotels struck a deal with Turner Broadcasting to build a 600-room tower wing addition next to their existing hotel located in the CNN Center. The new wing opened in 2003. Omni bought Time Warner's share of the building in 2017.

In 2010, Omni Hotels purchased the Amelia Island Plantation in Florida for $67.1 million.

In January 2013, Omni Hotels acquired ClubCorp's Montelucia Resort & Spa. With this deal - worth $900 million according to The Wall Street Journal - Omni Hotels became an owner and operator of iconic American golf resorts. In July 2013, Omni Hotels assumed management and operations of the King Edward Hotel in Toronto, and bought shares of the property. In December 2015, Omni Hotels acquired the Omni Mount Washington Resort from CNL Financial Group, which it had operated under its brand since 2009.

In March 2018, Peter Strebel was named President of Omni Hotels & Resorts.

In December 2020, unions criticized Omni for using the Paycheck Protection Program to obtain a low-interest loan for business purposes, rather than using the money to pay workers (which would have turned the loan into a grant).

In March 2021, Omni sold five aging properties - Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West, Omni Houston Hotel at Westside, Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade, Omni Jacksonville Hotel and Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark.

In 2022, Kurt Alexander was appointed President of Omni Hotels & Resorts.

Properties

All hotels managed and/or owned by Omni Corporate. The company had one franchised property, in Cancun, from 1988 to 2022.

United States

International

References

References

1. (16 March 2018). "Omni Hotels & Resorts Names New President". Hotel Business.
2. "About Omni Hotels & Resorts".
3. "Hampton's Historic Lamie's Tavern | Lane Memorial Library".
4. "Once Dunfey-owned Omni Hotels Seek Bargains as Other Chains Divest Properties | Lane Memorial Library".
5. (5 November 1999). "After a Half Billion - Omni Hotels Producing New Look". Omni Hotels & Resorts.
6. "Best Companies to Work for in America".
7. (June 15, 1979). "Dunfey Hotels Are Run As a Family Affair (Published 1979)". The New York Times.
8. "Seeking New Horizons at Dunfey Hotels | Lane Memorial Library".
9. (4 August 1974). "The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia on August 4, 1974 · 77".
10. Stricklin, Art. (May 2014). "Robert Rowling's Billion-Dollar Golf Bet".
11. Stafford, Leon. (27 April 2017). "Omni buys Time Warner stake in downtown Atlanta hotel". [[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]].
12. (12 June 2013). "Omni Hotels & Resorts to Acquire and Operate Five Iconic Resorts". Omni Hotels & Resorts.
13. (15 July 2013). "Omni Hotels and Resorts to take over running Toronto's King Edward Hotel". [[Financial Post]].
14. (2 December 2015). "Omni Hotels & Resorts Announces Acquisition of The Omni Mount Washington Resort". Omni Hotels & Resorts.
15. [https://www.npr.org/2020/12/29/950902403/omni-hotels-accepted-millions-in-ppp-funds-but-didnt-pay-workers Omni Hotels Accepted Millions In PPP Funds But Didn't Pay Workers]
16. (March 2021). "Five Omni properties sold; to be rebranded - hotelbusiness.com".
17. Gourgouris, Elia. (February 1, 2011). "Ask Dr. Elia: Marriott Hotels to drop pornographic videos". [[Deseret News]].
18. "Montelucia Resort & Spa sold to Omni Hotels & Resorts - Phoenix Business Journal".
19. "Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU Opens Doors in the Heart of Downtown Tempe".
20. "Our Story - Omni Tucson National Resort".
21. (8 May 2000). "Inter-Continental Take Over".
22. "OMNI SAN DIEGO HOTEL PARTNERS WITH THE SAN DIEGO MUSEUM COUNCIL TO LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE "KEY TO CULTURE" PROGRAM".
23. "Historic Hotels in San Francisco | Omni Hotel San Francisco".
24. "Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel {{!}} Hotels in Fort Lauderdale, FL".
25. (October 11, 2004). "Omni Orlando Resort At ChampionsGate Opens On Time - Despite Florida Hurricanes; New 730-room Destination Golf Resort Stands Tall as a Symbol of Resilient Florida Tourism".
26. "The Omni Hotel at CNN Center Completes $9 Million Renovation / Paul Breslin, GM, Bio / Nov 1999".
27. (5 January 2018). "First Look: Omni Hotel opens at The Battery Atlanta". Atlanta Business Chronicle.
28. "100 years old and still open for business".
29. (6 March 2019). "Omni Louisville Hotel marks 1 year since opening its doors".
30. "Roger Ogden – C100 Louisiana – Louisiana's Business Roundtable".
31. "Omni Boston Hotel At The Seaport Opens Its Doors – Hospitality Net".
32. "Omni Viking Lakes Hotel Opens in Minnesota".
33. (December 17, 1977). "Berkshire Hotel Sold". New York Daily News.
34. "Omni Hotels Acquires the 365-room Radisson Plaza in Charlotte, N.C./ Dec 1998".
35. "The City of Raleigh Selects Omni Hotels & Resorts for 550-Room Convention Hotel, Transforming Downtown Skyline and Economic Landscape".
36. Greater OKC Chamber. (2021-01-13). "OKC VeloCity {{!}} Oklahoma City Convention Center complete, Omni set to open".
37. "Omni Oklahoma City Hotel Proudly Opens Its Doors To The Oklahoma City Community {{!}} Omni Hotels & Resorts".
38. "Bedford Springs Hotel History | Omni Bedford Springs".
39. (January 18, 2001). "Westin William Penn Sold". Hotel Business.
40. (January 17, 2013). "Omni Acquires, Rebrands Rhode Island Westin". Hotel Business.
41. "OMNI HOTELS & RESORTS OFFICIALLY OPENS OCEANFRONT RESORT ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND".
42. (September 30, 2013). "Omni Nashville Hotel Opens". Hotel Business.
43. "Omni Hotels Becomes Owner of Austin Downtown Hotel Building".
44. "Omni dallas hotel celebrates grand opening with $111 rates".
45. "Omni fort worth hotel is well worth the wait".
46. "Frisco Hotel Opening | Omni Frisco Hotel".
47. "Omni PGA Frisco Resort Debuts an Oasis of Modern Luxury".
48. "Riverwalk Hotels | Omni La Mansión del Rio".
49. (10 August 2010). "Omni Launches Mokara Boutique Brand in San Antonio".
50. Progress, CHRIS SUAREZ and ALLISON WRABEL The Daily. (4 July 2016). "At 40, Charlottesville's Downtown Mall has only gotten better with age".
51. (2024-10-02). "Omni Hotels & Resorts to Open First Mexico Property".