The Westin Buffalo, located at Delaware North’s corporate headquarters, this month began a full renovation of the hotel’s 115 guest rooms.
The project is the first of its kind since the property opened in 2016 and includes upgrades to the furniture and fixtures in each of the rooms, with a focus on high-quality materials and a tranquil color palette.
“We’re really excited that this project is underway at The Westin Buffalo,” said Tom Long, general manager (GM) at the company-owned-and-operated hotel. “We’re proud to offer our guests a high level of service and accommodations, and this investment in the property will allow us to continue to exceed expectations.”
While planning the project, it was important for the team to focus on sustainability and donate or recycle as much furniture from the rooms as possible. Alfred Anderson, special projects manager at The Westin, and Katie Gorman, director of corporate social responsibility and strategic initiatives, helped to connect the project team with several Buffalo-based nonprofit organizations that could use the furniture for their missions, while Zachary Rambuss, assistant GM at The Westin, helped to coordinate delivery.
“Hotel furniture is built to last,” Gorman said during an interview with WGRZ in Buffalo. “Our stuff is in great shape, so we didn’t want to send it to a landfill. We wanted to put it to good use.”
About 440 items in total – including nightstands, loveseats, floor lamps, desks and storage cabinets – will be donated. The team also collaborated with Triad Recycling & Energy Corporation to ensure that each of the mattresses from the guest rooms will be recycled, rather than put in a landfill.
“We placed an important focus on diverting as much waste from the project as possible, and partnering with Triad was a huge piece of the puzzle,” said Matt Nowakowski, director of design and construction at corporate headquarters. “The mattresses from the project – approximately 6,700 pounds from the first phase alone – will be processed into raw materials that can be used to create new items.”
The renovations, which will be finished this summer, will be completed in four phases to minimize the impact on guests. Buffalo Business First featured the project in a recent article, highlighting the significant investment and top-notch guest experience.