It’s been a rough few months for the Holiday Inn Gateway Center in Flint. Like many companies, they struggled during the ongoing pandemic to keep things going. Then in December, the hotel lost its franchise brand with Intercontinental Hotels Group. Now, rumors are swirling that the end may be near for the once-popular local hotel.
When you call the hotel it rings as usual. The recording talks about renovations and big plans for the place located between I-75 and US-23. Since it was built in 1990, the venue has been popular for large events such as weddings, conventions, class reunions and more, as it is the largest banquet facility in Genesee County with a capacity of 500 people. Still, what goes on behind closed doors seems to be something less than usual.
According to ABC-12, the hotel has notified some patrons that their scheduled events will not take place because the venue is closed. According to the report, ELGA Credit Union was scheduled to hold an event at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center in March and received a phone call from the center saying they needed to cancel because they were closing. There wasn’t much more information provided on the call.
“I’m sorry we’re closing, we’re not going to be able to have your party,” Karen Church, CEO of ELGA Credit Union, told ABC-12.
I tried to call the place myself and asked about having an event there. I was told that the person who handles reservations was no longer at the hotel and they would find someone to call me back. When I asked if the center was actually closing its doors, the woman on the phone simply said, “I just don’t know.”
The Holiday Inn Gateway Center is owned by Terry Riddle, who has yet to comment on the closure rumors.
LOOK: Food history since the year you were born
.