One of Starkville’s most historic buildings is planned to reopen at the end of this month after decades of failure. Hotel Chester was built and opened in the 1920s at 101 Jackson St. and has changed ownership on numerous occasions since its original opening.
Current owner David Mollendor bought the hotel two years ago and has been continuously renovating it since. Mollendor is keeping the original name and format of the hotel because of its historical significance.
“Our goal is that Hotel Chester will become a viable and integral part of the community and remain so for the long-term,” Mollendor said.
The hotel has 37 rooms, including full suites, cabana rooms, executive kings, a bridal suite and standard rooms. The prices will start at $75 per night. In addition, the hotel will have a wine storage room, a banquet room and several rooms for private parties.
Already connected to the hotel is Big Daddy’s Coffee House, which opened a year ago. Guests will be able to enjoy desserts and coffee beverages during their stay at Hotel Chester.
Big Daddy’s owner Regina Beasley said, “The hotel is definitely going to benefit us–we’ll start opening mornings when the hotel opens and continental breakfast for hotel guests will come from Big Daddy’s.”
Beasley said she thinks guests will be able to show a hotel key and put coffee and drinks on their bills soon after the hotel opens. She also said Big Daddy’s will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as host an occasional “Happy Hour” once the hotel is open.
Along with Big Daddy’s, Mollendor plans to open the Landmark CafZ on the first floor of the hotel, as well as a new bar called The Library.
“The hotel will open in phases–the guest rooms are expected to be completed by the end of April and the restaurant and bar and will begin opening at the end of May,” Mollendor said.
Beasley said, “Guests can spend their entire night at Hotel Chester.”
In addition, wedding receptions and rooms are already being booked the first month the hotel is open. Beasley said people call Big Daddy’s all the time to book rooms, especially for graduation.
Despite the hotel’s lack of success in the past, Mollendor said overall responses toward the hotel’s reopening have been positive.
“I don’t want to speculate about why the hotel was not successful in the past,” Mollendor said. “My experiences with similar properties tell me there wasn’t one single problem that could be pointed to, but a variety of issues, both internal and external, that led to its failure.”
Hotel Chester was successful for several decades, effectively fulfilling its intended function within the community until the late ’50s or early ’60s when it took a nose dive along with the rest of downtown Starkville, Mollendor said.
The hotel was renovated extensively in the mid ’80s, reopening as the Ivy Guest House, but the amount of capital required exceeded the potential returns that could be reasonably expected. The hotel owners at the time were unable to financially sustain operating losses, and the hotel once again stood unoccupied. Since then, the hotel has served as student housing, the State House Hotel and will now once again be Hotel Chester.
Beasley said she is optimistic that this time around the hotel will be successful because its success is dependent on its ownership.
“Mollendor is someone who knows what he is doing,” she said.
Beasley said other small businesses downtown appreciate Mollendor’s time and hard work, hoping that the extra time on renovations will make it a success for the downtown area.
Mollendor, a Germantown, Tenn., resident, has done much of the gutting and renovating himself for the last two years.
Referring to Mollendor, Beasley said, “He’s keeping the architecture to a T. He is really putting his own blood, sweat and tears into this place. When I met him, I thought he was one of the construction workers.”
Mollendor has been in the hotel business for 30 years nationally and internationally and said he enjoys his work very much.
“It’s really the only business I know,” Mollendor said.
Mollendor said he believes that product consistency, cleanliness and a hospitable staff are the key to a successful hotel. He also said he has not yet filled any key positions, but plans to immediately begin hiring the required staff of 35 to 40 employees to run the hotel.
Beasley’s husband, Jeff, said, “It’s about time Starkville gets more hotels–we’ve missed out on hosting so many events here because there is a lack of hotels.”
Mollendor said he has bigger plans for the future, but first things first.
“We have to get this one open and volumes up to expectations before any thing else can be decided upon,” Mollendor said. “For now, our goal is to have a profitable business venture that meets the on-going needs of the community.”
Reservations for open dates beginning at the end of April can be made by calling the hotel directly at 325-5005.