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It’s hard to say whether it’s because of the property’s functioning antique oil well, its subtle design homages to the Steel City, or its proximity to the Pittsburgh International Airport — but over the last 37 years, the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott has become one of the most quintessentially Pittsburgh destinations.

Following an $18 million renovation that stretched over four years, the venerable hotel is now unveiling a new look. Among the amenities are new furniture, fixtures and a sound system, plus the redesigned Runnerstone Millhouse restaurant.

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Taking place over eight months, the initial renovations began in 2021 and focused on upgrading guest rooms, including offering 114 double and 186 king room accommodations. 

“Business travelers don’t like a double bed; they think it’s like sitting in a twin-size bed. For the needs of the hotel during the midweek, we need more rooms with king size beds — single rooms — because of business travelers,” says hotel general manager Tom Hardy. “But on weekends, we’d use every room with two beds for our sports groups and for wedding parties. So in every one of our king size rooms, we have one of these pull-out sofa beds, so on the weekends, every single room can be considered a room with two beds.”

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Beyond sleeping accommodations, guest rooms now feature 55-inch televisions, refrigerators, irons and steamers. In an effort to reduce waste and move towards sustainability, the traditional mini-travel novelties have been replaced with refillable soap, shampoo and conditioner dispensers. 

While the guest rooms were initially the only element planned to undergo renovation, the hotel came under new leadership soon after their completion. Following its sale to Boston-based Pyramid Hotel Group in 2022, it was decided larger improvements were needed, according Hardy. 

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Though the larger conglomerate had the ultimate say over design choices, local employee input helped sway some decisions. With Hardy at the helm of the communication chain, he shared snippets of design plans throughout the renovation process with employees so that feedback would be processed in real time. 

The hotel’s ownership asked employees questions like, “What do you think about this? Is this carpet too loud? Is the chandelier a little too present or too new age, funky?” Hardy says. “Hey, you guys are the groups on the ground. You know what you’re doing. How does this impact you guys?”

Because the traveling youth sports market is integral to the operations of hotels like Pittsburgh Airport Marriott, the hotel’s leadership fiercely protected the popular indoor pool during the renovation. The space of the former fitness room, which was relocated, is now a conference room sharing a wall with the pool, yet no splashing sounds — or wafts of chlorine — have permeated the space.

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Jeannie Dankowski, director of catering sales at the Airport Marriott, had especially meaningful input regarding the design of the hotel’s two ballroom spaces, which are popular for wedding receptions. 

“Lighting is where it’s at right now at the snapshot in time. You don’t have proper lighting, no matter where you are, you’re not hip, you’re not with it, it’s not going to sell,” Dankowski says. “And the designers really understood that. So they [did] everything from the natural light to adding all sorts of light fixtures — and now we have skylights.”

The hotel is a long-established giant in the region’s wedding market, and much of the credit for its good reputation belongs with Dankowski. For 31 years, Dankowski has been responsible for organizing social and corporate events, overseeing catering, event planning and day-of coordination. Dankowski feels that now, more than ever, the hotel is primed to host to its fullest potential thanks to the centering of a new outdoor space.

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As it stands now — luckily spared from a May 2024 tornado that ripped through the area — the hotel’s outdoor space is the prime canvas for the event of your dreams, says Dankowski. Whether it’s a tented occasion, a 400-seat garden party, or a cocktail hour near the firepits and waterfall, the flexibility of the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott’s outdoor area is completely malleable to clients’ visions. The space is free of permanent structures, large enough to accommodate big parties and includes cafe lights hanging overhead for a magical ambience, she says.

With the renovation complete, Hardy reflected on the 16 years he has spent at the hotel. 

“You see a lot of people moving around, and this team hasn’t,” he says. “My director of human resources has been here for 26 years. [The] director of finance, 27 years. Longevity is a lot of the reason why we’re so successful.I think the care is definitely evident walking through the hotel.”