CLAYTON, Mo. – An exciting development is underway in downtown Clayton. The construction has started on the city’s first ground up hotel development in 20 years – the AC Hotel Clayton.
“Coming out of the pandemic, this was an extremely challenging project to put together given the tight site. But we knew the brand of AC would do very well in Clayton,” said Sam Koplar, president of Koplar Properties.
Koplar’s company is developing the 11-story building. When complete the hotel will offer 207 rooms, meeting and event space, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a special amenity high above Clayton.
“What’s really going to set this hotel apart is the rooftop bar and the ability to view downtown from the top of the building. That’s going to be one-of-a-kind in Clayton,” Koplar said.
Clayton Mayor Michelle Harris said the hotel would be a great component, especially since the pandemic affected a lot of businessess.
“It’ll provide some of the lifestyle components that our residents and visitors need,” Harris said. “We were really hit hard in Clayton by the pandemic because our sales tax revenue, which is important for all cities, is very hospitality based. Our restaurants and our hotels were just dead for a year or more. We’re still struggling to come back from that. Establishments like this, entities like this, are really great shot in the arm for that and we’re so grateful.”
Harris said the hotel will help anchor a changing area of downtown Clayton.
“It’ll bookend Central Avenue, which we hope will one day with the development on the other end complete, be a really vibrant street that a lot of people will want to come visit and spend their evenings here,” she said.
The construction on the AC Hotel Clayton is expected to be complete in early 2024.
