OKLAHOMA CITY – It was a cold and gray Tuesday morning in downtown Oklahoma City. And while it was dreary outside, inside the recently opened Omni Oklahoma City Hotel the interior was warm and inviting and a sight to behold.
The 17-story, 605-guestroom convention center hotel in the heart of Oklahoma City, and next to both Scissortail Park and the Chesapeake Energy Arena, was bustling with activity as employees, guests and members of the media took in the grandeur of this highly anticipated hotel.
And while there are approximately 60 hotels in the Omni family, Paul Kiley, Director of Sales and Marketing for Omni Hotels & Resorts Oklahoma City, said that “not one single Omni will look alike.”
That is because the Texas-based hotelier works hard to make sure an
Omni reflects the environment it is built upon. When this reporter visited an Omni Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2017, it had a distinct look and style that reflected the horse country and bourbon culture of the Bluegrass State. For this Oklahoma City hotel, country music is playing in the earth-toned interior of the lobby and adjacent areas which artistically reflect Oklahoma’s western and ranch-styled influences.
On a media tour of the hotel, Kiley noted the hotel’s design features throughout, which highlight the pastoral landscape of Oklahoma’s distinctive topography – emphasizing earth and sky, prairie landscapes and sunsets. The metal, wood and chevron patterns, Kiley said, pay homage not just to the local industry, economy of the city and its surroundings, but to the scissor-tailed flycatcher, Oklahoma’s state bird.
Omni Oklahoma City Hotel marks the brand’s expansion into Oklahoma. The property consists of 76,000 square feet of flexible meeting, event and pre-function space and sits catty-corner to a streetcar stop, placing the hotel right within the downtown community.
“Those who walk through our doors, whether you’re traveling to Oklahoma City or you are a local enjoying a staycation or a day downtown, will feel an immediate sense of the deep authenticity and rich culture that this city has to offer,” Omni Oklahoma City General Manager Steve Keenan said. “Omni will offer a new and elegant way to experience an Oklahoma City adventure as we continuously aim to go the extra mile with every interaction and every gesture.”
The fitness floor, on the third floor includes a spa and an outdoor swimming pool with an amazing view of the OKC skyline.
Jamel Taggart, director of food and beverage at Omni noted the restaurants, bars and coffee shop in the Omni, including the as-yet-to-be-opened Seltzer’s diner which Taggart noted has a “retro vibe” not unlike Pops on Route 66 near Arcadia.
And while the Basin Bar, OKC Tap House, Bob’s Steak & Chop House and Park Grounds are all open now, while Seltzer’s Catbird Seat and Double Double Burger Bar open at a later date.
As for the new Convention Center, city leaders say it will help Oklahoma City “stay competitive in the lucrative convention industry for years to come” while bringing conventions here, bringing millions of dollars of business and tax revenue to Oklahoma City while creating local jobs.
And with the new Omni, convention attendees will have a comfortable and inviting hotel to stay in as well.
Paul Kiley said with Valentine’s Day rapidly approach- ing, bookings are filling up for that weekend and for the hotel’s restaurants like Bob’s Steak & Chop House.
OMNI OFFICIALLY OPENS
Tuesday executives from Omni held a ribbon cutting alongside Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau Interim Director Mike Burns, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City President and CEO Cathy O’Connor and Greater Oklahoma City Chamber President and CEO Roy Williams.
To add to the celebration, the office of Mayor Holt proclaimed Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, as “Omni Oklahoma City Hotel Day.” The proclamation was read by Mayor Holt at the privately held ribbon-cutting event.
“The opening of the Omni in Oklahoma City is a continuation of an exciting chapter in downtown Oklahoma City’s ongoing transformation,” Holt said. “In partnership with the MAPS 3 convention center, Omni helps further propel our city to bring in new visitors, tax dollars and more.”
“Omni Hotels & Resorts is laser-focused on its development strategy and, despite the industry impacts of COVID-19, our expansion across the Red River reinforces our commitment to that strategy,” said Peter Strebel, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts. “We look forward to extending our genuine hospitality into this tenacious city and becoming a new addition to the downtown skyline that Oklahomans can be proud of.”
The hotel features 605 guest rooms, including 29 suites, with well-appointed furnishings, regional influences and dramatic views of Scissortail Park and the downtown skyline. Additionally, the hotel’s top 17th floor was designed to cater specifically to professional basketball players featuring California king beds, larger door frames and taller ceilings and showerheads.
Hotel amenities are available to locals, travelers and overnight guests. Entrances to nearly every restaurant in the hotel are accessible from the interior of the hotel and from the street.
“Not only are we geared towards guests from out of town, but we want locals to come and visit and enjoy the hotel as well,” Kiley said.
Omni Oklahoma City Hotel opens following Omni Hotels & Resorts’ Safe & Clean program. The initiative includes extensive cleaning guidelines, processes and procedures to ensure the health, safety and comfort of guests and associates.
“Even the key fobs are sanitized,” Kiley said during our walking tour of the hotel.
Omni Oklahoma City Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Oklahoma City with easy access to Interstate 40 and the Will Rogers World Airport. To book a stay, spa treatment, group meeting or event, visit omnihotels.com/ hotels/oklahoma-city.