Batavia Downs Hotel

Expanding the Batavia Downs Hotel seems like a good idea to Byron Brown, who discussed the idea in his first board meeting on Wednesday since starting his new position as president and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting.

"The board has started looking at expanding the hotel, certainly predating me," said Brown. "I have been in a number of briefings on the hotel; there are several outside consultants and expert entities who have been hired to help the board evaluate the potential of expanding the hotel. From what I have been able to see and review, it looks like it makes sense to me."

Brown did not disclose any specifics on the proposals the board is reviewing. Wednesday's discussion took place behind closed doors. Brown said the expansion would take place on the current Batavia Downs property. The board has not discussed purchasing additional property he said.

"A lot of questions came up in the executive session that the board went into to discuss the hotel," Brown said. "I thought the questions were right on target, and I think the board will make a sound decision about whether to expand the hotel or not to expand the hotel."

After Kmart closed in 2018, WROTB attempted to purchase the property but lost out to Benderson Development. While Benderson built space and leased it to three franchise operations, the main Kmart building remains vacant. Brown said he has not heard any talk of WROTB attempting again to purchase the property.

The 84-room luxury hotel opened in 2016. It was originally constructed and operated by ADK Hospitality, a Buffalo-based company. It costs ADK $5.4 million to build the hotel. The OTB purchased the hotel in 2021 for $8 million.

The purchase, Brown said, "has led to this corporation becoming a lot more profitable. So purchasing the hotel in the first place was a very good decision. From my perspective, just being able to evaluate this during the week that I've been here, I think expanding would be a good decision as well. But again, I don't want to try to speak for the board."

Volunteers For Animals members are asking folks to take a “paws” next Sunday and attend the Batavia Super Sunday Craft and Gift Market coming soon to Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel.

The event, featuring “wonderful craft and gift vendors,” plus door prizes and free admission, is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 12 at the facility at 8315 Park Road, Batavia.

All proceeds are to go towards Genesee County Animal Shelter on West Main Street Road, Batavia, and the nonprofit VFA of Genesee County. The first vendor fair was postponed due to -- you guessed it -- COVID -- in 2021, and was put on last year. 

For more information about the animal shelter, go HERE.

Click HERE for more about Volunteers For Animals.

File Photo of a preview for the 2022 vendor fair, by Howard Owens.

If Batavia is a ring that holds a precious gem, that diamond is now the new Batavia Downs Hotel, said Hart Hotels Sales Manager Shane Draman during a tour Friday of the new facility with the hotel's General Manager Richard Likus.

Both were brimming with pride as they showed off the hotel's amenities, boasting of the subtle details that they believe will earn a four-diamond rating from AAA.

"We’re a destination now," Litkus said. "We have a racetrack. We have a casino. We have four beautiful restaurants in the casino that do room service to our rooms. It’s not like we’re a hub where people are passing through. This is where people are going to come and spend a weekend or spend their anniversaries or spend the holidays. It’s going to be something special."

The finer points include free Wi-Fi, refrigerators and Keurigs with Tim Horton's coffee in all 84 rooms, 310 thread-count sheets and goose-down pillows, hardwood floors and open-air drawer racks (both are more sanitary than carpet and wooden drawers), and spacious rooms with a turn-down service between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. (which includes a small piece of chocolate left on your pillow).

"People won’t remember what you said," Draman noted. "People won’t remember what you did. People will always remember how you treat them. I think when you take a look at that, how we treat people, the little nuances that are here, the little special things, people pick up on."

There are 40 rooms in the hotel with king-size beds, 40 with double queens and four two-room suites that have a wine cooler the size of a mini-fridge, a refrigerator and sink area with a dining table. There is also a balcony overlooking the racetrack.

Hart Hotels already operates four four-diamond hotels in Watkins Glen, Clayton, Thousand Islands, and Portland, Maine,

Key members of Batavia's new staff were sent to these locations to train.

"Our goal is to be the leading hotel in Batavia and the surrounding area," Litkus said.

The hotel has already hosted several guests, including a convention of 300 members of Rotary clubs from throughout the state and Draman said the feedback so far has been as great as they had hoped. He said people use words like "wow," and "fantastic," when describing the hotel.

From the outside of the hotel, you would never guess how spacious the hotel is, an observation made by several guests, Draman said.

"We've received emails were people have said it's the best hotel they've stayed at," Draman said.

The ribbon cutting for the new hotel will be at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, and Thurman Thomas will be on hand for the ceremony. He was a professional football player, a running back, who spent most of his National Football League career with the Buffalo Bills.