Columbus Renaissance Hotel Sold, Set for Major Renovation

COLUMBUS, Ohio - One of downtown Columbus' most prominent hotels is set for renovation following its sale to a new owner.

Whitestone Capital, a division of Lewis Center-based Whitestone Companies, has acquired the 22-story Renaissance Hotel from Marriott International, the company announced Jan. 7. The 408-room property is located along the Gay Street corridor, near the Arena District, Greater Columbus Convention Center and the Ohio Statehouse. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

"We are excited to add this iconic Columbus hotel to our Whitestone portfolio," Jay Batra, chief executive officer of Whitestone Companies, said in a statement. "This marks our largest purchase in the city to date and demonstrates our commitment to expanding our presence in the upper-upscale hospitality space."

The Renaissance features a rooftop pool, rooftop event space, two food-and-beverage outlets, approximately 23,500 square feet of meeting space and one of the city's largest hotel fitness centers.

Batra said Whitestone had been monitoring the property for some time and pointed to Marriott's decision to exit the asset, as well as public investment in the Gay Street corridor, as factors influencing the timing of the purchase. Whitestone plans an extensive renovation, including redesigned guest rooms and a reconfigured lobby.

The purchase marks Whitestone's third acquisition in the Columbus area in the past 10 months. The company bought the Westin Great Southern Hotel in March 2025 and a 50,000-square-foot office building in Polaris in September. With the Renaissance, Whitestone now owns five properties in the Columbus region.

"The synergies between these two recent hotel acquisitions downtown will allow us to capitalize on a 'One Team' approach to guest service, operational efficiency and revenue maximization," Chuck Groger, chief revenue officer at Whitestone, said in a statement.

Whitestone has selected Crescent Hotels to manage both the Renaissance and Westin properties. The company said the purchase makes it the largest owner of upper-upscale Marriott-branded hotels in downtown Columbus.

Nationally, Whitestone said it has completed 12 transactions in the past two years and plans to move its corporate offices to the Polaris building in the second quarter of 2026.

No timeline or cost estimate for the Renaissance's renovations was released.