For Sondra and Toby Eoff, the Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center has been a labor of love.
Opened five years ago, it has become a community hub and a catalyst for revitalizing downtown Odessa. They are also planning to open a spa.
Mere months after the hotel opened, COVID struck.
“It was a tough time for all of us. We made the decision to not close. It was a difficult decision because we knew there was a very good chance the hotel might not survive. We had to keep a skeleton staff to handle the few essential travelers that were staying here, but we brought the rest of the staff back as quickly as we could,” Sondra Eoff said.
The Eoffs sold their oil and gas service business, Odessa Pumps, and decided to open a hotel to give back to Odessa.
At the time, the mayor was David Turner and the city manager was Richard Morton. They approached the Eoff’s about a partnership to revitalize downtown.
“We were raised in Odessa, and we raised our boys in Odessa, so we felt this project was the right thing to do,” Sondra Eoff said.
She added that other Odessa hoteliers were asked to do the project, but they weren’t interested at the time.
It has turned out to be such a community hub, which was something they hoped it would be.
“It has been even better than expected. Your business is only as good as the people who work for you. We have been blessed to have such an outstanding team,” Eoff said.
Randy Ham, executive director of Odessa Arts, said the hotel has been an asset to downtown and the entire community.
“It’s more than just a place to rest your head at night. It is a concept of what our community should be. Toby and SondraEoff had a vision for what Odessa could be and baked it into the design and operation of the hotel. I walk through the lobby every day on my way to work, and it has become like my second home,” Ham said. “I eat there, I entertain there, I unwind there at the end of the day. It has been the most successful catalyst project this community has seen in years, and has sparked more interest in downtown than we ever expected.”
Odessa Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Renee Earls said the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center has been a game changer for downtown Odessa.
“We regularly hear from travelers that the hotel itself is one of the nicest between DFW and Denver. Having the Conference Center space has allowed Odessa to host meetings and events that were not possible in the past simply because we didn’t have the required space and amenities. The Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center has added to the Hotel/Motel tax funds for the city, which are reinvested back into the community,” Earls said. “This up-scale hotel, along with the added attractions around the area, have made Odessa a repeat destination for many tourists and even locals who want a ‘staycation get-away.’”
Earls added that although COVID slowed business for a while, it quickly picked back up.
“On any given weeknight, one can find the lobby full of people from across the state, as well as many from various parts of the nation and even the world. All of them, without fail, are impressed with the Hotel and Conference Center, from the original artwork, to the landscape to the delicious food/drink and customer service that is a tribute to the West Texas hospitality,” she added.
Adding to the amenities, Eoff said they are planning to open the Woodhouse Spa Odessa in December 2024.
“We have tried for five years to find someone to open a luxury spa near the hotel to accommodate travelers, but we couldn’t find anyone, so last year we decided to build one,” she said.
The Woodhouse Spa Odessa is billed as a luxurious day spa offering massage, facials, waxing, mail services, infrared sauna with redlight therapy, salt cave and upscale retail beauty products. It will employ 50 people.
The hotel as a whole has 215 employees with the Starbucks.
The hotel has 215 rooms on seven floors. there is 33,374 square feet of meeting space between the hotel and conference center with 18 event rooms and 19 breakout spaces.
The 215 rooms are 100 percent occupied Monday through Wednesday.
“We stay busy hosting conventions, weddings, quinceañeras, parties, charity events and company meetings. During the month of December, we will have holiday parties daily,” Eoff said.
Leticia Nunez, Janet Hignojos, Maria Gonzalez and Toni Vela have all worked at the Marriott since it opened and to a person they have nothing but good things to say about the experience. They add that it doesn’t seem like it’s been five years.
Nunez and Hignojos are both housekeeping supervisors. Gonzalez is a main cook for banquets and Vela is a banquet supervisor.
They all say the Eoffs have been key to keeping them on staff, along with their managers, coworkers, meeting new people and learning new things.
“It’s a good environment” to work in, Nunez said.
Hignojos said there are about 50 people in housekeeping.
“There’s just a lot of opportunity to advance. I love meeting new people, different cultures. The owners are very family oriented, very caring, loving people, so we learn a lot from them. I just love what I do, what I learn,” she added.
Nunez said she and Hignojos have done virtually everything in the housekeeping realm at the hotel.
“ We’ve done lobby; we’ve done rooms, laundry, because I used to be in the laundry, helped with the beds, banquet, a little bit of security. But it’s fun. It’s fun to get out of your department to go help. It’s a new experience,” Nunez said.
Hignojos said she has enjoyed the experience of working at the hotel and getting to meet different people.
Nunez said she loves the work environment because the Eoffs have made it a place where people like coming to work. People from the owners and managers on down greet you and make you feel part of things.
She added that when she’s in uniform and people ask if she works at the Marriott she feels proud.
”I will always be grateful to the owners because they have always been there for us,” Nunez said.
Both Vela and Gonzalez decided to apply at the Marriott because they wanted to try a different environment and have different opportunities. They noted that the hotel has good benefits, as well.
They also like the working environment and have found that they are treated like family.
“It’s a positive environment,” Vela said.
The last three months of the year are very busy for Vela and Gonzalez. Their department has nine people.
“We have to live here,” Vela said.
