ALL BEDROOMS IN THE 48-SUITE Eldridge Hotel, 701 Mass., are being done with new furnishings.

Once the dust has settled and the rummage is cleared, people in Lawrence might notice some changes made to some area hotels.

A number of hotels in town have undergone renovations in the past couple of years for various reasons.

The Eldridge Hotel, Seventh and Massachusetts streets, has been undergoing a $1.5 renovation since it shut down the first week of January. The hotel is being completely redone and is projected to reopen in mid-May.

Randy English, hotel manager, said construction was going “very, very well,” and the renovation process is taking a long time because everything is being custom-made for the hotel. All rooms and common areas in the 48-suite hotel are being completely redone with new furnishings.

The Eldridge is being renovated because of the age and condition of the hotel. English said the last time the Eldridge had been renovated was in the 1980s and the property had “just gotten old and tired” since then.

“In the last few years, occupancy had dwindled because of the condition of the hotel,” English said. “But we certainly see that coming back.”

The Eldridge is not the only Lawrence hotel to get a makeover.

The Best Western, 2309 Iowa, recently underwent renovations as part of its conversion from a Days Inn.

SHALOR'S RESTAURANT at the Eldridge Hotel is receiving an overhaul. The hotel and restaurant have been closed since December while undergoing a .5 million makeover. The hotel is expected to re-open in mid-May.

The $398,000 renovation consisted of taking down walls and restructuring rooms, as well as adding new carpet, furniture and beds among other amenities.

Kate Kelly, Best Western general manager, said business has been better recently and credits it to the renovation and conversion.

“I think that when you take care of your product, people know you’re taking care of it and they’re more likely to come back and use you again,” Kelly said.

English said he thought the Eldridge was a vital part of the downtown community and that business should be there for the hotel when it reopens.

“I think we will definitely see a major increase in business for the hotel, both in guests staying at the hotel and in the number of functions that are in the hotel,” English said. “Hopefully, that will bring people downtown, and it will benefit everybody.”

The Eldridge continues to take reservations while under construction. English said reservations were going well, even though they have not gotten word out to the community about the reopening.

To let the public know about the Best Western’s recent renovation, Kelly said the hotel sent out various press releases and distributed mailings to about 20,000 people. Business has been pretty steady since.

WORKERS ARE REFURBISHING THE ELDRIDGE HOTEL with a modern look inside while maintaining its ornate style.

“As far as weekends go, we’re sitting about right with the number of hotel rooms in town,” she said. “During the week, there’s a little less business to go around and that’s when it becomes a little more difficult for everyone to survive.”

Kelly said the peak season for her hotel is February through July. She said during that time the hotel would fill to capacity on weekends, and weekdays would vary.

English projects the Eldridge to have 75 percent of its rooms full in the hotel’s first year after reopening.

English has been the Eldridge’s manager since the beginning of March. He’s been involved in the hotel business for 40 years, and the Eldridge is the fourth historic hotel in which he has managed and overseen restoration.

English said a number of local investors are staying involved in the renovating process, partially by showing their commitment to the property.

“They have a sense of pride for the community, particularly for the downtown,” he said. “And they appreciate what an impact a renovated Eldridge can do for the community.”