Montco hotel to relaunch as Alloy King of Prussia after $18.5M renovation

Source, Philadelphia Business Journal, Lauren Smythe

The newly rebranded DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia-Valley Forge will reopen Wednesday as the Alloy King of Prussia, a DoubleTree by Hilton after an $18.5 million renovation that spanned more than six months.

The property will relaunch as a lifestyle hotel offering 327 updated, modern guest rooms and 25,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Five new event rooms were added to the venue. Event spaces ranging from 430 to 7,020 square feet are available for booking.

Hammer & Fire, a new American grill concept, will also open at the revamped Montco hotel. The concept features meals emphasizing locally sourced ingredients and a hyper-focused beer program showcasing local breweries.

The hotel’s other updates include an expanded fitness center featuring Peloton stationary workout bikes, an outdoor dining room and mothers’ nursing room.

“We look forward to highlighting the new look and concept to our distinguished guests and clients,” said Jennifer Shipman, director of sales and marketing. “The changes will provide all visitors with more amenities and opportunities to make their experience enjoyable and stress-free. We are proud and thankful to have been a part of the Montgomery County/King of Prussia community for so many years and are excited to continue to maintain our outstanding reputation as a leading hotel in the Philadelphia market.”

The hotel remains under the Hilton (NYSE: HLT) umbrella, which boasts a portfolio of 18 global brands comprising 6,100 properties in 118 countries and territories. The investment was backed by Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company and real estate private equity company Whitman Peterson.

Concord Hospitality is a hotel development and management company that has worked with more than $2.5 billion worth of well-known branded properties across North America in the last 30 years. Whitman Peterson has invested billions in the hospitality, multifamily, industrial, and student and senior housing sectors across the United States, United Kingdom and Latin America.

JN+A Architects, HVS Design and Allied Group also supported the renovation.

“This uniquely modern hotel will provide us with the opportunity to introduce a fresh and thoughtful hospitality brand concept while targeting a mindful traveler that looks for special moments in their hotel stay, and uniquely memorable experiences, especially ones that are local,” said Lisa Karl, vice president of sales and strategic partnerships for the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board.

The hotel reopening comes days after Montgomery County moved into the green phase of Pennsylvania’s three-stage Covid-19 recovery plan. The suburban county was among the first and hardest hit in the state by the pandemic. Amid the public health crisis, occupancy levels at some Montco hotels dropped to about 10%.

The tourism industry in Montgomery County generates about $1.65 billion annually in economic impact and provides more than 20,000 jobs. The area has 80 hotels that offer up 9,200 total rooms.

Heading into the pandemic, the travel and hospitality industries supported more than 4% of all jobs in the county, employing more than 20,000 people.