Award-winning hoteliers eye new boutique hotel in downtown Columbia. Here are the plans

The owners of an award-winning boutique hotel in Columbia’s Main Street District are now pitching another hotel, this time in the heart of the Vista.

The city of Columbia’s Design/Development Review Commission on Thursday will consider a measure that would make way for a 41-unit boutique hotel at 1237 Gadsden St., near the intersection with Lady Street. The project is seeking permission for some changes to the building that was originally constructed in the 1930s.

Paperwork filed with the city shows drawings for proposed updates to the Gadsden Street building referenced under the name “Hotel Trundle-Vista.” The drawings were done by Marcus Munse, per the paperwork.

Munse and Rita Patel are the owners of the Hotel Trundle in the Main Street District. Located at 1224 Taylor St., Trundle landed in the top 10 in two categories of USA Today’s 2022 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It was listed at No. 4 in the Best Boutique Hotel category and No. 9 in Best Historic Hotel.

Meanwhile, Munse and Patel also are in the midst of expanding the Taylor Street hotel by adding another block of rooms, including a large bridal suite, at 1544 Main St., across the street from the Columbia Museum of Art. That expansion is called The Flutter Wing.

The State left a phone message for Patel Tuesday morning regarding the Gadsden Street plans in the Vista.

According to paperwork filed with the city planning board, the building at 1237 Gadsden St. was originally built in 1939 for the Epes-Fitzgerald Paper Company.

“The current proposal is to convert the building into a 41-unit boutique hotel,” the design board agenda packet says “This proposed work entails changing some openings on the east side, adding two windows on west elevation, constructing a new lobby on the south side of the building, adding a rooftop patio, and so on.”

The application said detailed plans for the new lobby and rooftop patio are in early stages, and that portion of the proposal will have to come back to the design board later for further approvals.

The Vista continues to be a hot spot for drawing new hotels.

Richland County Council recently gave a key first approval on tax incentives for developer Ben Arnold to construct a 4-star hotel near the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. That deal would include a $135 million investment from the Arnold Companies.

And there is a seven-story, nearly 300-room hotel under construction at the corner of Gervais and Williams streets, near the McDonald’s. That facility will be a combined Homewood Suites and Tru Hotel by Hilton.

The design board meets at 4 p.m. Thursday at Columbia City Hall and will consider Hotel Trundle’s request.