The turreted "castle" hotel that has long staked out a spot on the Framingham skyline is back, this time as a polished meetings and events hub. After a multi-year overhaul, the former roadside icon has reopened as the Renaissance Framingham Hotel & Conference Center and now anchors a three-hotel campus known as The Framingham Hotel Collection. The reimagined complex pulls together full-service, select-service and extended-stay options under Marriott's Bonvoy umbrella to serve weddings, conferences and extended visitors to MetroWest.
From Sheraton Tara To Tri-Brand Campus
The transformation was led by Colwen Hotels and XSS Hotels, which took the former Sheraton Tara and carved it into three Marriott-affiliated flags: Renaissance, Fairfield Inn & Suites and TownePlace Suites, for a combined 371 guestrooms, as reported by Boston Business Journal. The build-out splits the site's inventory across full-service, select-service and extended-stay offerings in a bid to catch a wider mix of group, business and leisure demand.
Inside The Reimagined Castle
Guestrooms and public spaces have been updated with contemporary finishes that nod to the building's castle-inspired silhouette while carving out flexible co-working zones and lounge seating. The redevelopment also overhauled the meetings footprint, delivering more than 25,000 square feet of flexible event space that can host up to roughly 1,000 guests, according to Banker & Tradesman. Upgrades to A/V systems and pre-function areas are designed to keep the venue competitive with other suburban conference centers.
Food, Drink And A Familiar Name
The property reopened with three distinct dining concepts aimed at both overnight guests and locals: Malone's Irish Pub & Social, billed as a modern revival of the longtime Molly Malone's; Provisions Hearth & Kitchen; and the Tara Café, which serves Starbucks-branded beverages. According to Marriott, these outlets are central to the effort to knit the campus back into the regional hospitality scene while giving event attendees and highway travelers on-site options. The multi-brand setup also stretches price points on a single property, from economy extended stays to full-service wedding packages.
Landmark Look, New Commercial Life
Colwen and XSS say the repositioning keeps the property's landmark character intact while turning it into a more versatile commercial asset. "The Renaissance brand is about uncovering the unexpected in every stay," David Laurent, general manager of The Framingham Hotel Collection, said in a statement reported by Hotel Online. The owners have positioned the campus to capture weekend leisure traffic drawn to regional shopping and culture, along with weekday corporate groups from nearby office parks.
Loyalty Points And MetroWest Impact
All three hotels participate in Marriott Bonvoy, so members can earn and redeem points across the campus and use the Marriott app for a contactless stay, per industry coverage on HospitalityNet. Local venue guides say the added room count and event capacity give MetroWest more options for mid-size conferences and destination weddings that previously sent planners looking toward Boston or Worcester, a shift reflected in the Metrowest Visitors Bureau's hotel venues list. Rooms and event space are now bookable through standard Marriott channels with the transformation complete.
