At first glance, the decision by Uniland to convert 59 of its Embassy Suites hotel rooms into the Vista at Avant apartments looks like it downsizing its hospitality-related holdings in the Delaware Avenue building.
But, that’s not really the case.
The rooms are shifting from traditional hotel rooms into long-term rentals. While the Embassy Suites hotel room count has been reduced by 32 percent going from 182 rooms to 123 rooms, the hospitality aspect of the building remains in full force.
Yes, they are apartments, but they are also part of Uniland’s hospitality package.
The minimum stay is 60 days while some may stay as long as one year, says Ryan Weisz, Uniland spokesman.
‘We've seen the extended stay options in the area, and we felt this fit a new niche,” Weisz said. “Someone who's looking for more of the upscale amenities and offerings within the building. So, it's a little bit of both. We think it just kind of fills a new opportunity within the market, and we think it also adds just that fresh new concept to the Avant.”
Uniland is turning 57 of the former hotel rooms into fully furnished, upscale one-bedroom apartments. Two will be studio apartments.
The apartment tenants could be corporate executives who need a long-term place to stay, or it could visiting professors or those connected to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
Actually, it is pretty much open-ended.
One of the big selling points?
Downtown Buffalo.
We think it's just a high-demand walkable location that, again, we think will do really well with this new product,” Weisz said.
The conversion process is already underway, with the first apartments due to welcome their first guests by early April. The Embassy Suites will remain open with a steady list of bookings.
