Getting a lot
of R&R

By Diane Prokop
Times Staff Writer

A Northeast Philadelphia landmark unveiled its newest incarnation last week when the former DoubleTree Club Northeast raised its new flag — Four Points by Sheraton — and showed off its $10 million renovation.
After opening remarks in the biting January breeze, Mummers played Happy Days Are Here Again as they marched into the high-rise building at 9461 Roosevelt Blvd. for an opening reception and champagne/beer toast.
Hotel general manager Lori Simpson offered the toast to "new beginnings," and thanked everyone who helped the transformation take place.
The party atmosphere continued as hotel staff, construction workers and invited guests and VIPs sampled the fare of the new Cobblestones Restaurant as a photographer visited table after table of folks squeezing together for pictures to capture the moment.
The restaurant and the Tap Room lounge, located off the hotel lobby, offer a cozy, contemporary atmosphere, with clean lines, warm woods and a plasma TV mounted on stone above the fireplace, as well as a complimentary computer station.
A $9.99 hot breakfast buffet is available daily, along with a la carte options. The Tap Room, a brew pub, offers a selection of more than 25 microbrews.
In his opening remarks, Al Taubenberger, president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, heard his German roots calling him to sample the selection of brews.
His answer: "I think I’ll spend some time here."
Taubenberger also paid tribute to the hotel and its relationship with the GNPCC, a partnership forged when the business became a chamber member in 1973.
The hotel’s longevity, he added, can be attributed to a staff that over the years has worked hard to provide guests with an enjoyable experience.
Taubenberger wasn’t about to get any argument from Jesse Eisenbluth, the Sheraton senior manager of franchise new builds and transitions.
"We give guests what they need, when they want it, with a little style and fun," Eisenbluth said.
As part of the contemporary improvements, guests in the hotel’s 190 rooms will enjoy 32-inch plasma TVs, WiFi Internet access and a work station that rolls out from a wall unit. They’ll also rest easier on the chain’s signature Four Comfort Bed — with their comfort level enhanced by a plush mattress, large pillows that are likely to be just right, and other touches that enhance the trip to dreamland.
For the first time in the hotel’s history, visitors can pick up the phone and order room service, made possible with the debut of the Cobblestones Restaurant.
Although the hotel has undergone a major facelift, the $10 million renovation is not quite complete.
Construction workers were still at work in the hotel’s meeting rooms, including the Pennsylvania, Roosevelt and Philadelphia suites, which will offer 5,575 square feet of flexible meeting space. The rooms feature high-speed Internet, climate control and in-house audiovisual service, with a business center on-site.
When guests are finished sitting in a conference all day, they can take advantage of Four Points’ new fitness room, getting in shape with elliptical machines, a treadmill and free weights, among other equipment.
The upgraded indoor pool area will be open in April, though without the glass dome, long an identifying landmark for people passing by.
Joe Kelly, vice president of regional operations for Lodgian Inc., the Atlanta company that owns and manages the hotel, is confident that Four Points will be a tremendous success because of the staff and the market in Philadelphia.
Four Points by Sheraton Northeast Philadelphia is one of 43 hotels owned by Lodgian. ••
For more information about the hotel, visit www.fourpointsphiladelphianortheast.com
Reporter Diane Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dprokop@phillynews.com