In 2014, Hilton Worldwide announced plans to convert and expand the historic Clarion Hotel in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, into a 110-room Hilton Garden Inn and 100-room Home2 Suites located at 1200 and 1210 Pickens St. The dual-branded hotels provide a choice in accommodation options in Columbia's downtown district, catering to business travelers with a location near the Capitol building, the University of South Carolina and the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, and also cater to leisure travelers with its proximity to Williams-Brice Stadium, the South Carolina State Museum and Riverbanks Zoo.
The sale of the prominent downtown hospitality property last year was selected by a panel of local industry professionals as a 2023 winner of the CoStar Impact Award for sale of the year for Columbia. Atlanta-based Hunter Hotel Advisors arranged the sale on behalf of the seller, Greensboro, North Carolina-based CN Hotels, which sold the property to an institutional buyer for an undisclosed price. Hunter Senior Vice Presidents Mayank and Jatin Patel advised the seller.
"Once again, Mayank and the team provided us with exceptional results, securing the highest price per key in downtown Columbia with this sale,” said Mike Patel, managing director of CN Hotels in a statement announcing the sale.
About the Project: Built in 2019, the Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites provide 223 rooms in a central downtown location in South Carolina's second-largest city, sharing such joint amenities as an indoor pool, fitness center and on-site restaurant.
Judges' Comments: "This project activated property in downtown Columbia and helps fill the lodging gap that exists for downtown Columbia business and leisure travel. It is the only project where a property was expanded beyond its prior size," said Peyton Bryant, partner and director of business development for Trinity Partners.
"It's a landmark location," said Wilson Kibler President and CEO Ted Pitts.
They Made it Happen: Mayank Patel and Jatin Patel of Hunter Hotel Advisor served as the listing brokers in the sale.