DTR’s Round Holiday Inn Lives On

DTR’s landmark round Holiday Inn gets new life.

Downtown Raleigh’s iconic round Holiday Inn’s future has been resurrected. Once sentenced to demolition with a sleek Kimpton on deck to replace it, the circa-1969 era-defining pillar is now closed to prep for a late 2026-slated Hotel Indigo revamp at the hands of NYC-based Tidal Real Estate Partners. 

With construction set to start soon, the renovation will see a rebirth of what is arguably the most polarizing landmark in Raleigh’s lore. But love it or loathe it, it is inarguably one that, when set for demolition, saw more public outcry than any structure’s controversial fate in recent history.

Now fenced and preparing for new life, the revered retreat’s OG furniture and interiors have been hauled out. And with a rendering still in progress, Raleighites wait with bated breath to see what this modern moment will hold for the famed “hair curler”—think plans for a renovated ground-floor lounge, top-floor bar and event space with primo city views, and an updated guest experience blending Raleigh’s signature creative energy and Southern charm.

Just its third NC outpost—joining Asheville and Winston-Salem—IHG’s swanky Hotel Indigo brand blends boutique vibes with intentional design and experiences inspired by the local scene. And round hotels are nothing new to the hotelier, who counts among its portfolio such curved hospitality heavyweights as Hotel Indigo Taipei North in Taiwan and the UK’s Hotel Indigo Manchester. Similar to Raleigh’s scenario, the latter laid-back boho boutique rescued a historic Victorian building from ruin while adding on an adjoining modern 14-story rotunda tower, blending the old and new in a one-of-a-kind design that preserved the neighborhood’s history while breathing in new life.

Tidal President Ken Copeland frames the vision for DTR’s own 204-room Hotel Indigo as both bold and nostalgic, saying they’re “excited to bring Downtown Raleigh the true lifestyle boutique hotel it deserves… by restoring an iconic Raleigh landmark into the modern era.”

Also known for its upscale developments, Tidal’s esteemed roster boasts such standouts as Nashville’s posh soaring residential and retail high-rise 1111 Church and Savannah’s dramatic and distinctive Perry Lane Hotel. On the local front, the real estate developer scooped up 1.3 prime acres of land in the Warehouse District in 2022 for just shy of $21 mill, at the time zoned for up to 40 stories—though no further plans have since been released. 

Teaming up to lead the charge is local general contractor John Moriarty & Associates—no stranger to circular constructs, having helmed Charlotte’s glass-wrapped Ascent Uptown, a 33-story ellipse that similarly made a bold architectural statement on the city’s skyline. The Moriarty team is joined by Nashville-based architecture firm ESa—who also partnered on Music City tower 1111 Church, with a résumé that includes 2024-debuted Tempo by Hilton Nashville Downtown and Virginia’s award-winning The Bristol Hotel, to name but a few. Now, let the Raleigh fixture’s long-awaited glow-up begin.

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