Decades-old Columbia, South Carolina hotel (Embassy Suites near Riverbanks Zoo) to cease operation, future unclear

By Hannah Wade (The State)

The Embassy Suites hotel near Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is set to close in early January and potentially lay off 120 workers in the process. The hotel, a 218-room Hilton franchise on Stoneridge Drive, will close Jan. 6 after the international hotel brand decided to terminate the franchise agreement, according to a letter sent to employees by the company December 18, 2024.

“This came unexpectedly. After getting this notice, we attempted to negotiate for more time to continue operations, but Hilton did not allow it,” Larry Cooper, the vice president of operations for Atrium Hospitality, which owns the hotel, said in the letter to employees. Workers at the hotel will be furloughed indefinitely, according to the letter. The company said its hope is for the furlough to last less than six months, but it’s possible the hotel will be closed permanently. On the hotel’s booking website, reservations cannot be made after the night of Jan. 5. A spokesperson for Hilton told The State on Tuesday that the company could not comment on the closure, citing the Embassy Suites’ status as an independently owned and operated hotel. The hotel is listed for sale by real estate investment management company JLL. The investment company’s brokers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The hotel, which sits right off Interstate 126 near the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, was built in 1988 on a little over six acres of land and sits across from two other hotels.

Source: The State