Pardon me for spamming you with multiple stories today, but our editorial calendar is overbooked and I’ve got a fun bit of news to share. The Embassy Suites by Hilton Knoxville Downtown is planning not only a second-floor balcony extension, as Knox News reported this morning, but also a new $2.5 million rooftop event space.
Let’s start closest to the ground. While the current Gay Street-facing balcony is reserved for patrons of KoPita Authentic Mediterranean, the addition along Union Avenue will be available to hotel and restaurant guests as well as the public. Embassy Suites’ private investment will be aided by a $100,000 façade grant from Downtown Knoxville Alliance. Construction is expected to begin soon.
“Regarding the balcony expansion, our primary goals are to activate this section of Union Avenue and invite more non-hotel guests to come and enjoy various businesses that we have inside the hotel,” owner Alpesh Patel, CEO of Kana Hotel Group, shared with me in an email. “We’re constantly striving for ways to enhance our hotel, providing local and out-of-town guests more reasons to visit downtown Knoxville.”
The project comes as that side of the building is already getting a little more attention, with KoPita Bakery having recently opened its new Union Avenue storefront. In addition to KoPita Bakery, ground-level businesses include Ham’n Goody’s, K Brew and Wake Foot Sanctuary.
Meanwhile, The Reserve at Radius Rooftop Lounge will add approximately 1,500 square feet to the hotel’s existing 14th-floor rooftop bar and event space, which offers nearly 360-degree views.
The $2.5 million addition is designed for private parties, celebrations, corporate gatherings and other events of up to 75 people. Plans call for a contemporary interior with upgraded finishes, dramatic lighting and flexible seating.
“The Reserve represents a significant investment in Embassy Suites Knoxville Downtown and in the continued growth of the guest experience we offer in the heart of the city,” Patel said. “Radius has become a special part of this hotel, and The Reserve allows us to build on that success with a distinctive space created for celebrations, private events and memorable evenings overlooking Knoxville.”
The Reserve is scheduled to open Dec. 31, with reservations already being accepted for private events in 2027. To inquire about reserving The Reserve at Radius, email [email protected].
Together, the two expansions continue an idea that has been part of Patel’s vision for the property from the beginning. When IOK first reported plans for Embassy Suites in 2017, Patel emphasized that he wanted the development to engage downtown residents and visitors rather than function simply as a hotel.
Personally, I appreciate that. The lobby has become one of my go-to spots for interviews, thanks to K Brew and seating spread out enough that nobody else is going to be all up in our business. The lighting also makes a lovely backdrop for a headshot.
The Conley Building reopened in 2020 as a 177-suite Embassy Suites following an extensive adaptive reuse, with Radius, restaurants and other businesses incorporated into the property. And, six years after we took our first look inside the completed hotel, it appears Patel and Kana Hotel Group aren’t finished tinkering with their flagship downtown property just yet.
A few more renderings, which point to yet another gorgeous addition to a downtown property that continues to do a model job of incorporating itself into the urban fabric
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