ASHTABULA, Ohio — The city of Ashtabula is getting its first boutique hotel in nearly a century, complete with a rooftop wine bar, luxury style rooms and a picturesque view of the harbor.
While it doesn’t look like much now, the vacant lot off the harbor near Bridge Street will soon be Ashtabula’s first boutique hotel. It’s expected to bring in more than 60 jobs.
The Riverbend Hotel is going on the corner of Goodwill Drive and Sixth Street.
It will have 26 rooms with a rooftop wine bar and space for weddings, giving tourists a picturesque view of the harbor.
The $5 million project is homegrown, proposed by an Ashtabula native who’s bringing the “Big City Feel” close to the harbor.
“When this thing starts coming out of the ground, they are going to be extremely impressed with how well this blends in,” said City Manager Jim Timmonere. He said tourism in Ashtabula is growing, with wineries, covered bridged, spruced-up parks and trendy spots to grab a bite. They are bringing folks in from all over, and until this project, there wasn’t a place nearby to rest their heads.
“Now, if they are one of the lucky 30 and their families, they can stay right here on Bridge Street, enjoy Bridge Street and just walk back to their rooms,” Timmonere said.
The city brought in $500 million in tourism revenue last year. Timmonere said it’s a sign the boutique hotel will only increase that dollar amount.
The hotel is expected to be completed early next year.