TOLEDO, Ohio —
There are bright days ahead for this once troubled East Toledo hotel, said Destination Toledo President and Chief Executive Officer Lance Woodworth.
"It's no secret to say the Days Inn was a nuisance property, it's probably an understatement. So it's very exciting, if you look at the location, it's all about location, location, location," Woodworth said.
After an auction earlier this month the now-shuttered Days Inn along Miami Street in East Toledo has new owners who aim to revamp the hotel and give it a new future. RM International Group, a Canadian company with experience running hotels, won the Feb. 17 auction.
The Days Inn went up for auction about six months after a Toledo Municipal Court judge ordered the hotel to close for at least a year due to criminal activity and building codes. The ruling came after the city filed a lawsuit against the hotel's owner, Toledo Nights, Inc.
In its lawsuit, the city said police were called to the hotel 182 times between January 2018 and November 2020 for reports of assault, domestic violence, fighting, disorderly conduct, theft, robbery, burglaries, and nine drug overdoses.
Nearby residents say the hotel became a haven for what they call an "unsavory" clientele. The Days Inn was the source of nonstop loud music through the night and was to blame for drug deals they saw in their own front yards and fights the witnessed in the street.
With a new owner, however Woodworth sees a bright future for the former trouble spot. Being located right off I-75, the property is poised to attract travelers, he said.
"This is a prime location for that traveling public that's coming down, those visitors that are visiting this area but also traveling through, to have a decent place to stay. It's very exciting," Woodworth said.
Neighbors are hopeful the redevelopment will help the surrounding area. Denise Caris lives one block over from the property and she says the so-called "riff-raff" that lived in the Days Inn would harass people in the surrounding streets.
"We never know what they're going to do, or how they're going to treat anyone," she said. "They asked my dad, even in his yard, to borrow money. Not even knowing 'em. He just told them, I'm not a banker."
Jasdeep Sohi with Marcus and Millichap, the auction company that sold the property to RM international, said the new owners plan to improve the hotel to make it safe and comfortable for guests and the community.
The new owners plan to renovate the Days Inn and give it a new appearance. They also plan to bring a franchise restaurant to the site to replace Jill's Bar and Grill and hope to make the hotel-restaurant combination an appealing stop for those traveling on nearby I-75.
This is what neighbors like Caris have been hoping to hear.
"Well that sounds good, that sounds good. We're just glad it's finally going to be done and over with, and we hope they bring something different to the community than what it has been," she said.
While there's no official word on when renovation will start or just how much work they intend to do, Woodworth said that given the building's reputation, he wouldn't be surprised if they gut the entire inside and restart from scratch.
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