Hotel Utica
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Predecessor | United Hotels Company of America |
| Founded | March 11, 1912 in Utica, New York, United States |
| Fate | Rebranded as Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica in 2017 |
| Successor | Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica |
| Headquarters | Utica , United States |
Area served | Utica, New York |
Key people | Joseph R. Carucci, Charles N. Gaetano (restoration investors) |
| Products | Hotel accommodations and services |
| Owner | Visions Hotels (since 2016) |
| Website | www |
The Hotel Utica stands as a landmark hotel located in Utica, New York. Originally designed by the architectural firm Esenwein & Johnson from Buffalo for the United Hotels Company of America, the property underwent restoration with the assistance of public funds and reopened its doors in 2001. Since 2017, it has been operating under the name Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica.
History
The hotel commenced operations on March 11, 1912, featuring a 10-story fire-resistant structure that housed 200 guest rooms, along with four dining venues, a ballroom, an assembly hall, a ladies’ restaurant, and a gentlemen’s grill and café. In 1926, an expansion added three additional floors, bringing the total number of rooms to 250. Distinguished visitors over the years included Judy Garland, Mickey Mantle, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Hopalong Cassidy, Mae West, Bobby Darin, and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Following a downturn in business, the hotel closed in 1972. It was subsequently repurposed as adult care housing before eventually becoming vacant. Local entrepreneurs Joseph R. Carucci and Charles N. Gaetano purchased the property and invested $13 million between 1999 and 2001 to restore it, drawing inspiration from Washington D.C.’s historic Willard Hotel during the rehabilitation process.
Despite these efforts, financial difficulties continued, with the City of Utica contributing approximately $500,000 annually to cover shortfalls on loan payments. In 2009, the hotel was placed on the market with an asking price of $10.7 million amid outstanding property and school tax debts as well as unpaid HUD loans. Although it became affiliated with Choice Hotels International as a franchise in 2006, ownership remained private.
In May 2016, Visions Hotels—an operator managing more than 40 hotels across New York State including several in Utica—acquired Hotel Utica. Following this acquisition, renovations commenced after establishing a Property Improvement Plan with Hilton Worldwide to transition the property into a DoubleTree by Hilton branded hotel. The facility officially reopened as Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica on October 24, 2017.
On August 13, 2018, then-President Donald Trump hosted a fundraiser for congresswoman Claudia Tenney at the hotel. This event marked the first presidential visit to both Hotel Utica and the Mohawk Valley region in nearly seven decades.