Moxy Omaha Downtown opened in October 2023 at 12th and Harney, on the lot where the Old Market Diner once stood. The six-story, brick-clad building has 113 rooms and, according to its operator, is the only Moxy in Nebraska. Hawkeye Hotels built it; NCG Hospitality bought and runs it.
The address is 409 S 12th Street, on the edge of the Old Market Entertainment District. The Gene Leahy Mall and the CHI Health Center, which hosts concerts, sports and conventions, are within walking distance, and Charles Schwab Field, home of Creighton baseball, is also close. The brick facade was chosen to sit alongside the district's historic warehouses.
The concept
The building covers 46,000 square feet over six floors. Hawkeye Hotels, founded in 1982 with a single roadside hotel in Mena, Arkansas, and now owner of more than 65 hotels, developed it. The plan filed earlier called for 105 rooms; the finished hotel has 113. At completion in 2023 Hawkeye sold it for more than $200,000 per room to NCG Hospitality, a family-owned company based near Madison.
The Society designed the interiors and BASE4 was the architect. The design leans on railroads and farms rather than on Marriott's usual playful pastiche. The entry bar is meant to resemble a train station, and a split-flap board by Oat Foundry adds to it. Murals show the football team, the railroads and outdoor recreation, and posters picture tractors, pigs and cows. Shovels mounted outside the elevators replace floor numbers.
Brick, concrete, blackened steel, worn wood and distressed leather set the palette of wood brown, concrete grey and brick red. The designers say every piece of furniture and decor was made to order.
Dining & wellness
There is no conventional lobby. Bar Moxy doubles as reception, and guests receive a complimentary cocktail or mocktail at check-in. It stays open until 2 a.m. with wine, local beers and handmade cocktails.
The adjoining lounge has soft seating, tire swings and shuffleboard, and turns into the breakfast room in the morning with coffee and made-to-order dishes. Sandwiches, small plates and flatbreads are served through the day and evening. A mini market open around the clock handles grab-and-go, and breakfast, snacks and drinks need no trip outside.
News
October 4, 2023: Hawkeye Hotels announced completion of Moxy Omaha Downtown in the Old Market district and its sale, at over $200,000 per room, despite tight financing and rising interest rates. The 113-room hotel has contemporary architecture and interiors reflecting the district, and a communal bar and lounge serving craft cocktails and small bites. Hawkeye owns and operates more than 65 hotels across the IHG, Marriott and Hilton families.
