St. Paul Hotel

Challenge:
The historic St. Paul Hotel’s existing gathering spaces were limited, making internal activations, including the Lobby High Tea, Etiquette Course and Culinary Demonstrations, difficult. Scheduling was often overbooked and over-complicated, meeting and banquet spaces were reserved for group use, and our team’s ability to expand our events offerings to the local community was minimal.

Solution:
Morrissey Hospitality conducted a complete use-of-space review of the St. Paul Hotel to identify potential for under-utilized spaces. An existing restaurant on the lower level, serving mostly hotel guests for breakfast and lunch, was renovated to create an open, inviting space with an adjacent kitchen. The new space, renamed Drakes Landing, is now used for expanded in-house activations and special events.

Outcome & Benefits:
By converting the existing, under-utilized restaurant to an inviting, fun gathering space, the St. Paul Hotel was able to double the sizes of our High Teas, Etiquette Courses and Culinary Demonstrations. The frequency of our in-house events has increased. Evening events, including weddings and receptions, are hosted. The lobby is less crowded and more accommodating to hotel guests. And space has been freed up in other areas of the hotel.

The activation of the Drakes Landing creates new revenue opportunities and drives event booking for the St. Paul Hotel. It encourages community members and hotel guests alike to visit our other concepts for breakfast and lunch. Drakes Landing lowers labor cost, as spaces are no longer set and reset repeatedly. Cost of goods is down, and waste is significantly reduced. Service performance and consistent food quality in all areas of the St. Paul Hotel are improved. And, perhaps most importantly, the St. Paul Hotel has created more opportunities to connect to and create