BUFFALO, N.Y. — There's a new beginning at a very old and historic building in Buffalo. The Hotel Henry at the Richardson Olmsted Complex closed more than two years ago. Friday night, a new operator is welcoming its first guests.
It's a big day for Karen Oleszak.
"Our focus is to really tie into the brand of the architecture and the landscape design," said Oleszak, the general manager of the Richardson Hotel.
As the general manager of the new Richardson Hotel, Oleszak is responsible for hotel operations and making sure everything runs smoothly opening weekend.
"One of the first things we wanted to do is, it was a little bit awkward before where the front desk was, so we wanted to make it on the first floor when guests first enter so it's easy to see and check in," Oleszak said.
"And it's right under the staircase. Fits nicely here," 2 On Your Side's Kelly Dudzik said.
"Right underneath the staircase. Fits perfect. We wanted to make sure that it, you know, it wasn't the main focal point of the lobby, but that it was easy to see," Oleszak said.
There are also new color-coded signs throughout the hotel. And instead of a mostly white interior, you are now greeted by photos of local landmarks and warmer colors inspired by some of the building's original artwork.
"During renovation, Douglas had uncovered a piece of the original stenciling that was in this building, so he had it framed, and he didn't like how everything was all white before, and he wanted to make it a little bit warmer, so he thought that the stenciling would look perfect throughout the lobby. Kind of bring back that era when it was built," Oleszak said.
The complex dates back to the 1870s when it was the Buffalo State Asylum. It first opened its doors to patients in 1880.
"Does this lead to the guest rooms?" Dudzik asked.
"This leads to the odd side which used to be the men's quarters," Oleszak said.
"And the floor is original," Dudzik said.
Oleszak replied: "So this was originally built when the building was built. All of the buildings were built in different phases. They all just weren't built at the same time. As they increased the amount of patients, they increased the amount of buildings. This is the original tile from when this particular building was built and it's still in pretty good shape."
Right now, there are 88 hotel guest rooms with a building on reserve to add 40 more. And there's a barn that hotel owner Douglas Jemal hopes to turn into an event space.
Jemal also has plans to add residential units.
The café at the hotel opens April 1, and it will be Overwinter Coffee that's served there. The bar opens April 15. The restaurant will open May 15. Cucina's will be an Italian-inspired restaurant with steak and seafood.