The Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel was an exciting addition to the city of Charlotte. Partnered with the 300 South Tryon Office Tower, this was the first high rise to go vertical in Uptown since 2008 and served as a symbol to the southeast that the market was turning around. The monumental project not only created confidence in the local economy from Charlotteans but also from those visiting the region who view the modern, magnificent hotel as a best-in-class home away from home in a world-class city.

Balfour Beatty successfully managed and effortlessly coordinated the design and construction of the project. Project Executive Beth Davis proudly commended the team she led, sharing, “The success of the project was because of our team. Our strength came from each team member’s experience and drive to provide a memorable and lasting impact to Charlotte and its skyline.”

Pre-Planning and Pre-Viewing Were Key to Unlocking Guest Room Success

For the project owner, delivering an exceptional guest experience was paramount. As a leading hospitality contractor, Balfour Beatty understands that the look and feel of each guest room can make or break that experience.

To help visualize this experience, Balfour Beatty leaned into lean practices and built a full-scale, fully detailed mock-up of two guest rooms plus an adjoining corridor before construction. The exercise provided the opportunity to evaluate finishes through touch and feel, in proper proportion. As a result, modifications were made with confidence. Examples of resulting modifications included adding lights at each corridor door drop and increasing the number of electrical outlets in each room. Even the smallest detail can have a significant impact on the overall guest experience. 

For Balfour Beatty, building it right the first time is critical—a concept that keeps budgets and schedules on track. Rather than making owner-requested changes to 217 guest rooms after they were constructed, the mock-up provided the means to collaboratively gather input beforehand, offering significant cost savings if these same changes occurred post-construction. Additionally, the building inspector walked through the mock-up and provided valuable input related to MEP clearances, resulting in an issue-free guest room inspection upon completion.

The skyline stunner now stands as one of Charlotte’s signature landmarks, adding style and grace to the city’s growing silhouette. It also furthers the neighborhood’s appeal as a destination, offering superior restaurants, large meeting, and event spaces, and stunning views of the city from its rooftop bar, Merchant and Trade, complete with a retractable roof and one-of-a-kind ceiling panels with moving visual effects. Tryon Park will be where memories are made for generations to come and currently tops the list as the most successful Kimpton location in the continental United States.

Mock It Before You Make It Guest room and corridor mock-ups created off-site provided significant cost and time savings as changes were addressed and worked through before construction began.