Marriott Syracuse Downtown
A restored historic hotel in downtown Syracuse, New York, operating under the Marriott name since 2016.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Marriott Syracuse Downtown is a historic hotel at 100 E. Onondaga Street in central Syracuse, New York. The property originated as Hotel Syracuse, a major early twentieth-century city hotel designed by William Stone Post of George B. Post & Sons. Construction began in 1922, and the hotel opened for business on August 16, 1924, followed by a formal opening celebration in September. Its location and scale made it an important hospitality and civic-events venue for Syracuse, with a large lobby, banquet facilities, and ballroom spaces capable of hosting major gatherings. One of the first day's guests was child actor Jackie Coogan, while aviator Charles Lindbergh visited in 1927 to discuss his recently completed transatlantic flight. The property underwent a significant change in 1980, when it became the Hilton at Syracuse Square. An expansion added the Imperial Ballroom and a tower wing designed by hotel architect William B. Tabler. The hotel later left Hilton and reverted to the Hotel Syracuse name during the 1990s. By the early 2000s, the formerly large 790-room complex was struggling financially. It closed in 2004 after entering bankruptcy-related difficulties, leaving a prominent downtown building vacant and creating concerns about unpaid taxes, deterioration, and the loss of a major convention and events facility. Several redevelopment efforts followed. In 2005, GMUL proposed a mixed-use renovation involving a business hotel, condominiums, apartments, restored banquet facilities, retail frontage, parking improvements, a pool, and a gym. Ownership passed to AMERIS Holdings in 2006, and the company reopened banquet operations, renovated the parking garage, and began converting the tower into apartments. The complex hosted events including the Syracuse Film Festival in 2007. Hotel Syracuse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008, reflecting the architectural and civic importance of the original building. AMERIS subsequently entered bankruptcy, however, and the unfinished tower project stopped. The tower, later known as Symphony Tower, was separated from the historic hotel complex and sold in 2012; it remained vacant as of the cited 2022 account. A new restoration path emerged after Pyramid Hotel Group made a proposal to the City of Syracuse in 2013. Ed Riley acquired the property in 2014, and a major restoration began in 2015. The project was reported as a $57 million rehabilitation that created 261 guest rooms and restored the principal historic public spaces, including the lobby and ballrooms. During the work, the property's main entrance was moved from South Warren Street to East Onondaga Street. The hotel adopted the Marriott Syracuse Downtown name on June 25, 2015, while restoration was still in progress, and reopened on August 19, 2016. It was subsequently admitted to Historic Hotels of America, the National Trust for Historic Preservation program for historically significant hotels. Today, the property combines convention-oriented lodging, weddings and social events, dining and hospitality services, and a restored historic setting under the Marriott affiliation.
History
The building now known as Marriott Syracuse Downtown began as Hotel Syracuse, one of the major hospitality projects associated with Syracuse's early twentieth-century growth. Architect William Stone Post, working with George B. Post & Sons of New York City, designed the building in 1921. Groundbreaking took place in 1922, and the hotel opened to paying guests on August 16, 1924. A formal opening dinner for stockholders followed on September 18 in the Grand Ballroom. The hotel's early prominence was illustrated by its notable visitors, including child star Jackie Coogan on opening day and Charles Lindbergh in 1927 after his historic flight from New York to Paris. The property was architecturally notable as an ambitious modern hotel designed by a leading hotel specialist. Its public spaces, especially the lobby and ballrooms, were intended to support both lodging and civic life. In 1980 the hotel was renamed the Hilton at Syracuse Square. That period also brought an expansion that included the Imperial Ballroom and a tower wing designed by William B. Tabler. The property eventually left Hilton during the 1990s and returned to the Hotel Syracuse identity. The hotel's later history was marked by decline and prolonged redevelopment uncertainty. Once described as a 790-room complex, it closed in 2004 after financial difficulties and bankruptcy-related problems. In December of that year, a payment by the chief creditor helped resolve a dispute over unpaid property taxes. Proposed redevelopment plans in 2005 called for a 155-room business hotel, condominiums, apartments, restored banquet facilities, retail space, parking improvements, a pool, and a gym. AMERIS Holdings acquired the property in 2006 and changed elements of the plan. The company reopened the banquet facilities, renovated the parking garage, and began converting the 1980 tower to apartments. The complex hosted events such as the Syracuse Film Festival in 2007, while the tower conversion progressed. Hotel Syracuse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The same period also exposed the fragility of the redevelopment effort: AMERIS later entered bankruptcy, and the apartment conversion stopped when the tower was approximately 80 percent complete. The tower was separated from the historic hotel building, renamed Symphony Tower, and sold to Hayner Hoyt Corporation for $1.4 million in 2012. The sale became the subject of extended litigation, and the tower was still vacant in the account covering 2022. In 2013, Pyramid Hotel Group offered to renovate and reopen the historic hotel. The proposal was linked to the need for a full-service lodging partner for the nearby Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center. Ed Riley subsequently acquired the property in 2014. A reported $57 million restoration commenced in 2015, creating 261 guest rooms and rehabilitating the major historic public areas. The entrance was moved from 500 S. Warren Street to 100 E. Onondaga Street. The property was renamed Marriott Syracuse Downtown on June 25, 2015, and reopened on August 19, 2016. Its later recognition by Historic Hotels of America reinforced its dual identity as a functioning full-service hotel and a preserved historic property.
- 2016
Restored hotel reopens
[1]The property reopened on August 19 after restoration and subsequently joined Historic Hotels of America.
- 2015
Marriott identity introduced
[1]The hotel was renamed Marriott Syracuse Downtown while a major restoration was underway.
- 2014
Ed Riley acquires the property
[1]Ed Riley acquired the hotel and advanced a new restoration and reopening plan.
- 2008
National Register recognition
[1]Hotel Syracuse was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2004
Hotel closes
[1]The large Hotel Syracuse complex closed after financial distress and bankruptcy-related difficulties.
- 1980
Hilton-era expansion
[1]The property became the Hilton at Syracuse Square and gained the Imperial Ballroom and a new tower wing.
- 1927
Charles Lindbergh visits
[1]Charles Lindbergh visited the hotel to discuss his transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis.
- 1924
Hotel Syracuse opens
[1]The hotel opened for business on August 16, followed by a formal stockholders' dinner in the Grand Ballroom on September 18.
- 1922
Construction begins
[1]Ground was broken for the building that would become Hotel Syracuse.
- 1921
Architectural design commissioned
[1]William Stone Post of George B. Post & Sons designed the hotel as an early twentieth-century modern hospitality building.
Products and positioning
An upscale, convention-oriented historic hotel combining restored early twentieth-century architecture with full-service lodging, meetings, banquets, weddings, and events.
Hotel accommodation · 2016
Guest rooms
The restored property reopened with 261 guest rooms. Accommodation is the hotel's core commercial offering, combining contemporary full-service hotel operations with a setting in a landmark historic building in downtown Syracuse.
Meetings and events · 1924
Grand Ballroom
The Grand Ballroom is one of the building's principal historic public spaces. It hosted the hotel's first formal event in 1924 and remains part of the property's event-oriented identity, supporting banquets, weddings, civic functions, and large gatherings.
Meetings and events · 1980
Imperial Ballroom
Added during the 1980 expansion, the Imperial Ballroom broadened the hotel's capacity for meetings, receptions, banquets, and convention-related events. It forms part of the restored event infrastructure emphasized in the hotel's reopening.
Hospitality and catering · 2016
Historic hotel events
The property provides event and banquet services in restored historic spaces. Its downtown position near the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center supports its role as a lodging and functions venue for conventions, weddings, social celebrations, and community events.
Brand decisions
2015
Rebrand and restore the historic hotelStrategyBackground
After years of closure, failed redevelopment attempts, and deterioration, the owners pursued a full restoration intended to create a convention-supporting hotel while preserving the building's major historic spaces.
Action taken
The property was renamed Marriott Syracuse Downtown during the restoration, its entrance was relocated to East Onondaga Street, and the project delivered 261 renovated guest rooms and restored public areas.
Aftermath
The hotel reopened in August 2016 and later received recognition through Historic Hotels of America.
Reported restoration investment. $57 million (2015 restoration project)
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/marriott-syracuse-downtown · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled