有料盒子

Eric Ridley, chief operating officer of Syracuse-based Pioneer Companies, told 有料盒子 that the renovations cost $2.7 million. A focus of the project was brightening and improving the hotel's 92 guest rooms.

When it first opened in 2012, the rooms featured dark woods, browns and oranges. Now, the rooms have lighter colors.

"A lot of times what happens when people renovate hotels is they just put a lot of lipstick on it," Ridley said. "We basically went down to the drywall."

The improvements aren't limited to the guest rooms. The renovations included freshening up the ballrooms and lobby.

A tour of the renovated hotel also gave Pioneer Companies an opportunity to reveal they are now managing the property. The firm, which was founded by the late Michael Falcone, oversaw the construction and owns the hotel. But it was managed by Emerald Hospitality Associates.

Ridley explained that Emerald "entered into a strategic partnership" with another company. With Emerald's growing portfolio, Pioneer sought to ensure the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn had a local focus.

Pioneer manages 6 million square feet of industrial, medical, office and residential space, according to Ridley.

"It's something that Mr. Falcone and I, and (Michael Falcone) our current CEO, have always wanted to do," Ridley said. "We have a professional management company. We should deploy those resources in the hospitality business."

For Ridley, he described it as a "full circle" moment. When the Hilton Garden Inn opened in 2012, he was the hotel's first general manager.

Ridley rose up the ranks at Pioneer Companies. For eight years, he oversaw asset management for the firm and Continuum Partners. In 2024, he was named chief operating officer.

Although he's now a top executive with the company, he is still a Cayuga County resident. He lives in Throop, where he is the town supervisor.聽

With Pioneer taking over management of the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn, Ridley said he's a short drive away.

"I can be here as much as I need to be," he said. "We have a local presence. The Falcone family and (Pioneer) more generally are deeply rooted in the community. It made all the sense in the world to manage the property. We know the players. We know the local community. We know the businesses."

One of the other changes at the hotel is that a new general manager, Robert Richie, has been installed.

Richie considers Auburn a hub for the region and praised the hotel's staff. One of management's goals for the hotel is to show visitors more of Auburn. He wants to "bring Auburn inside" the hotel and show guests "what they can do while they're in the area."

Pioneer's work isn't finished at the hotel. Ridley said they are planning minor upgrades to The Refinery, the on-site restaurant.

Since the opening of the hotel 13 years ago, Pioneer is pleased with its progress.

"We really put ourselves in a position where, from a competitive standpoint, you'd be surprised at the rates we're able to achieve in Auburn," Ridley said. "It rivals some of the product that is in Skaneateles because we take such care of the space and the hotel. It's a really well-maintained building."