Owner Gus Genetti was on hand for the announcement Thursday saying it would ensure the hotel at 200 W. Fourth St. lasts another century for tourists and guests. He said it is part of a $6 million hotel upgrade.

“This will be a big boost,” said Genetti at the motor lodge and pool area which were built in 1968, which is one of the primary areas targeted for redesign and makeover.

“We hope to have it done by the end of March,” Genetti said.

The grant, administered through the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and known as a “Marketing to Attract Tourists Grant,” will be used on the design and construction.

Gus Genetti and Sen. Gene Yaw talk about the history of the Genetti hotel and the renovations in front of the pool side rooms at the hotel. A grant of 2,000,000 was given to the hotel to help offset the total renovations that are scheduled to be finished in March of 2025. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Genetti said he had plans for $6 million in renovations to the hotel and this was the first stage. The grant was secured through assistance of state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township.

The concepts of the plan were described by Anthony Visco Jr., project architect, as well as Phil Murray, hotel general manager.

Overall, this project could employ 20 to 50 skilled laborers on any given day.

“It’s pretty much a whole facade change,” Visco said, at the site of the renovation. He showed Genetti the building plans.

“What we are trying to do is put in some vertical elements, get in some gable ends, to help break all that up, and we are going to be changing the modern aluminum look to a little bit more of a traditional look,” Visco said.

Genetti also has hired an interior designer from the Mechanicsburg area and she will be decorating the interior parts of the renovated areas.

“We also are going to be creating some handicapped-accessible rooms here on the ground floor,” Visco noted.

“We are trying to give it a more updated look,” he said. “We’ve done this in a couple of other locations where they had the same wide-open horizontal feel.”

Murray described the plans for increasing security and creating a lobby that had a more traditional look — as it did when the hotel opened.

“Some of the funds we are going to be utilizing towards upgrading the security of the hotel,” Murray said. “So, we are going to be upgrading all of our lock systems throughout the entire hotel,” he said.

He remarked about his anticipation to see the upgrades to the main entrance lobby area and some of the other guest rooms.

“We are really excited to be utilizing the funds, upgrading and working on the hotel and bringing it even more concepts. It’s all very exciting.”

If desired by Genetti, a ramp could be put in that would lead guests down to the pool area rather than the present mechanical lift, Visco added.

Visco echoed what Murray said about the main lobby transformation.

“To take it back to an era when it was first opened, bringing back some of the historic columns that were there — it is going to be that kind of physical change in there,” he said.

These are alterations and improvements mirroring what has been done at other hotels of this era, he added.

For Genetti, it is among the largest changes since the introduction of the motor lodge and parking lot were added 56 years ago.

“This is the first impression people get when they park here,” Genetti said.