by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
When the Omni Jacksonville Hotel opened in 1987, the event was heralded as “a new chapter” in the revitalization of Downtown.
A celebration of two decades of hospitality was held Monday evening and it drew quite a crowd including some former Omni employees.
Larry Walter, who is now vice president of marketing for the Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau, was the hotel’s catering manager the day the Omni opened its doors. Michelle Brooks is now the Events & Promotions Manager for Downtown Vision, Inc. but her first job was in the administrative department at the Omni.
General Manager Scott Stuckey said the reception was just part of the 20th anniversary celebration that also includes a renovation project the Omni is sponsoring for Safe Harbor that will include new carpet, chairs and china for the boys home’s dining room and new kitchen equipment that was all previously used at the hotel.
Council President Daniel Davis represented the City and congratulated the Omni on 20 years of “wonderful service to the community” and added the hotel is an integral part of Jacksonville’s convention business.
Davis revealed he also has the Omni Jacksonville on his resume. He was a valet parking attendant from 1992-94 and said he learned many things while he worked there including, he quipped, “mastering the art of driving a $150,000 vehicle at 45 miles an hour in a parking garage.”