McCamly Plaza Staff Moving On

Last night’s Calhoun County Republican Party Reagan Day Dinner marked the closing of Battle Creek’s McCamly Plaza Hotel for the foreseeable future.  The hotel is now closed for six months for renovations.

A busy and cordial staff worked the Branson Ballroom for a final time, after the hotel closed to the public December 1^st.  Most of the 65 laid off employees have already moved on.

Tim Wiltse, controller for Trust Hospitality, the company that manages the hotel, was on hand, supervising the event on Tuesday.  Wiltse told WBCK, “The good news is that all but a handful of our staff already have new jobs, and in many cases they are better paying jobs than they had previously.”  Wiltse says he is still very optimistic that the renovation work now be completed, paving the way toward the 38 year old hotel will re-open under the management of Hilton-Doubletree.

The work to be done includes fixing an improperly installed fire alarm system on four floors of the hotel, renovation of the lobby and front desk, the downstairs restaurant, and McCamly Place atrium.

Wiltse says one thing he won’t be looking forward to is finding new workers to replace the old staff, once the hotel re-opens next summer.