Is Raleigh’s circular Holiday Inn a historic landmark? Its owner thinks so.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tidal Real Estate seeks historic status for Raleigh's circular Holiday Inn.
- If granted, landmark status offers tax breaks and access to preservation grants.
- $71 million renovation begins in 2025, with hotel reopening expected in 2026.
For years, developers planned to demolish Raleigh’s cylindrical Holiday Inn. Public outcry led to an about-face.
Now, owners Tidal Real Estate Partners are converting the circa-1969 building at 320 Hillsborough St. into a Hotel Indigo, a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts.
And in a surprise twist, they want it recognized as a historic landmark — State Capitol Holiday Inn. (It’s roughly three blocks west of the North Carolina State Capitol.)
“Re-establishing the local cultural significance of this property is foremost on our minds,” Tidal CEO Mick Walsdorf said in an email to The News & Observer.
The Charleston-based firm recently submitted a 34-page application to the Raleigh Historic Development Commission. It argues the 20-story building retains “character-defining” elements, like its decorative concrete breeze-block screens and porte-cochère (covered entrance), making it “architecturally distinct and identifiable” as a Modernist design.
Such a designation comes with significant tax benefits, as long as the historic character is maintained. It also paves the way for state or federal preservation grants.
Tidal’s application is slated to be reviewed by the commission’s research committee on Wednesday, July 2.
The commission’s senior preservation planner, Collette R. Kinane, said a public hearing will be held “later this year.”
George Smart, founder and executive director of NCModernist/USModernist, supports the hotel’s bid.
“The Holiday Inn was as modern as anything Raleigh ever got,” he said, adding there are not a huge number of modernist hotels in North Carolina. “You tend to see those in Miami or Los Angeles,” he said.
In the meantime, Tidal has partnered with Moriarty Partners and Landrock LP and unveiled new details about the hotel’s planned $71 million renovation, largely funded by a construction and renovation loan provided by Mavik Capital.
Plans call for a “complete interior overhaul,” they said, including a ground-floor lounge, a top-floor bar and event space.
The team includes Earl Swensen & Associates as architect, John Moriarty & Associates as general contractor, and INC Architecture & Design as interior designer.
Sage Hospitality Group will manage the hotel and operations.
Construction is set to begin this summer, with completion scheduled for late 2026
A local relic
The Holiday Inn was one of 25 round motels conceived by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson in the late 1960s.
For many years, the 200-room hotel operated under the Clarion Hotel name. In its heyday, its top floor housed a restaurant where multiple bands played, including Southern Culture on the Skids.
In 2012, it was bought for $9.4 million by a Miami developer who renovated it and put it back under Holiday Inn management, The N&O previously reported.
In 2021, Tidal purchased the hotel and adjacent parking lot for $23.8 million and later revealed plans for a 20-story tower with 179 hotel rooms, 350 apartments, restaurant and a parking deck.
At the time, officials cited a shortage of high-end properties and planned to begin work at the end of 2023. But after multiple delays, Tidal pivoted.
Until recently, the hotel was accepting reservations. It’s now closed to guests ahead of its renovation.
This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Is Raleigh’s circular Holiday Inn a historic landmark? Its owner thinks so.."
