Columbus’ oldest surviving hotel is about to get some serious freshening up. The Westin Great Southern at 310 S. High Street is slated for a $29.5 million renovation announced yesterday, a major new chapter for the downtown landmark that first went up around the turn of the 20th century.
According to Columbus Business First, the project follows the hotel’s sale to a local real-estate investor in 2025 and carries that $29.5 million price tag. The outlet reports the new owner is planning a property-wide upgrade aimed at reinvesting in both the public areas and guest rooms.
A Downtown Landmark Since The 1890s
The Great Southern complex pairs the Southern Theatre with the adjoining hotel. The theatre opened on Sept. 21, 1896, and the hotel followed the next summer, according to CAPA and the Columbus Metropolitan Library. That long run as a civic and cultural anchor, along with the building’s historic protections, means any overhaul has to juggle preservation with the hard math of modern hospitality.
Who Bought It And Who Will Run It
Industry reports say Whitestone Capital, a division of Whitestone Companies, acquired the Westin Great Southern in March 2025. HotelBusiness covered the sale and highlighted Whitestone’s local roots, while a release from PR Newswire notes that Crescent Hotels & Resorts has been tapped to manage the property.
Why This Matters For Downtown Columbus
The renovation lines up with a broader Whitestone play downtown. The company has been assembling a cluster of full-service hotels and nearby office buildings, a strategy local coverage says is aimed at capturing convention and group business. A big bet on the Renaissance hotel and other recent deals are cited by industry watchers as proof of that approach. If the Great Southern project moves forward as described, it would add upgraded room inventory while keeping a historic venue closely tied to Columbus’ cultural calendar.
Whitestone’s comments at the time of the purchase leaned heavily on stewardship language. “We are incredibly excited and proud to add such a remarkable historic property to our portfolio,” CEO Jay Batra said, a message that industry coverage echoed when the sale closed. The owner and operator have not yet laid out a detailed construction timeline. Columbus Business First offers the first public rundown of the renovation plan and reports that more specifics are expected as planning and permitting move ahead.
