Cola’s unicorn hotel 🦄

A sneak-peek at boutique Hotel Trundle.

What exactly is a boutique hotel? Think: Small, with big personality. Typically between 10 and 100 rooms. Stylish. Usually in an urban setting. One of a kind. See some examples.

While Columbia has several bed + breakfasts, limited-service + full-service hotels (remember our conversation last week?), Hotel Trundle will be Cola’s first true downtown, independent boutique hotel, slated to open March 2018.

The 41-room, ~36K-total sqft. hotel is made up of three historic buildings, formerly housing Western Auto, Rose-Talbert, and Powell Furniture, morphed into one address at 1224 Taylor St.

Okay, but what’s the big deal? A huge part of owners Rita Patel and Marcus Munse’s mission is to tell the stories of “local Columbia” through Hotel Trundle. They’re commissioning + collaborating with local vendors, craftsmen and artists to offer guests an authentic Columbia experience through local products + touches. They’ll even have a printed “diary of local vendors” with bios of each featured local artist/vendor in each guest room for visitors to keep. Le swoon.

Also, their branding and general outlook on life are pretty cool. The hotel’s logo is a unicorn, representing the “unicorn” of an opportunity they got to take with this project. Plus, each room will feature something unique. The brand colors are “awesome violet” – which happens to be really similar to Pantone’s color of 2018 – plus indigo, citron, black + gray.

Here are a few locals’ works that you’ll see inside Hotel Trundle:

👤 Cedric Umoja | graffiti artist | graffiti in fitness area

👤Craft and Draft | craft beer store | seasonal beer selections for sample at check-in

👤 Lauren Dillon | plaster artist | fern-imprinted 4x4 plaster tiles for an “Instagram backdrop,” plus limewash work on existing plaster

👤 Ashley Concannon | ballet dancer + photographer | powder photo shoot artwork

👤 Pond Interiors | interior design firm | design concept + all interior design work

👤Ally & Eloise Bakeshop | bakery | continental breakfast items for guests

👤 Bricker and Beam | furniture craftsmen | beds in rooms, community breakfast table + part of the front desk

👤 That Godzilla Guy | visual artist | artwork for guest room door hangers + featured piece in hotel corridor

👤 Dalvin Spann | photographer | photography for hotel corridor artwork of “mini-scenes” with Lego superheroes interacting with iconic Columbia landmarks + destinations

👤 Best Mattress | four-generation mattress company | mattresses for guest room beds

👤 Image360 | sign + printing company | metal + stained-glass exterior sign

Hotel Trundle is also in talks with additional neighboring vendors to feature local coffee for morning coffee service, monthly wine picks for a guest + staff “sip and nibble” happy hour-style reception each evening, bakery goods for welcome gifts, and event space partnerships for guests looking to host a gathering during their stay.

Hotel Trundle will feature 41 rooms: 2 extended stay, 5 suites, 25 kings + 16 double queens.

The gutting of the spaces began before owners Patel and Munse signed on in 2016, and construction started earlier this year. Construction is by Mashburn Construction Company.

The project underwent extensive rehab work and much of the design was reverted back to the date of significance to comply with preservation guidelines for Historic Tax Credits. Patel + Munse are leasing the building from Sumter LLC, but plan to buy it in five years.

Scroll for photos of the hotel taken from our hard hat tour in early November 2017. ⬇️

I can’t wait to see the finished Hotel Trundle – I’m definitely booking a birthday staycation there in March. HBDTM.
–Chloe