What repairs are needed for the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Myrtle Beach? What we know
A long list of renovations need to be completed at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Myrtle Beach within the next 24 months.
The newly executed contract between the Sheraton Hotel and the city’s Convention Center Hotel Corporation Board does not explicitly state which parties are paying for the renovations, so The Sun News asked city leaders who’s footing the bill.
According to city spokesperson Meredith Denari, the hotel pays for its renovations and not the city or taxpayers. She wrote in a text message that she does not know how much the repairs are expected to cost.
Earlier this year, after one failed attempt, city council passed an ordinance for the issuance and sale of $81 million of “aggregate principal amount limited obligation bond.”
The ordinance said this was to help defray the costs for renovations to the city-owned Myrtle Beach Convention Center, which is connected to the Sheraton hotel, among other city projects. Horry County land records show that the Convention Center is owned by the City of Myrtle Beach.
Last year, Myrtle Beach had the highest municipal debt in Horry County, according to state collected data.
Voicemails were left for city council members Mike Lowder, Mike Chesnut, Mayor Brenda Bethune, Debbie Conner, Bill McClure and Gregg Smith on Wednesday afternoon.
Councilwoman Jackie Hatley’s voicemail box was full and unable to accept any new messages.
At 7:35 p.m. on Wednesday night Conner sent a text that said, “I received your message. Please direct your questions regarding the agreement to our City Administrator or City Attorney. Thank you for your interest.”
Conner was then asked if she had read the agreement. As of 11:25 a.m. on Thursday, she hadn’t replied.
Multiple messages were also left for Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel Corporation Board President Louis LaBruce on Wednesday.
Some of the biggest line items listed on pages 59 to 63 of the new agreement include:
- New interior and exterior signage
- Redo parts of the lobby including building an alcove to store luggage racks, add more outlets for charging and add an electronic LCD board to display hotel events
- Renovate the public bathrooms by adding new floors and wall finishes, new mirrors and decorative lighting
- Replace cardio equipment in the gym that’s older than 4 years and strength equipment that’s older than 7 years
- Buy new pool furniture for the indoor pool and outdoor deck space and refinish the indoor pool’s deck
- Replace the conference table and buy a larger TV with new woodwork around it for the meeting room
- Replace all switches and cover plates in all of the guest rooms
- Provide a full bathroom renovation to every guest room including new tiles, faucets, mirrors and paint
- Fully renovate all of the garage elevators, including light fixtures and paint
This 78-page , , document comes after multiple extension requests to City Council in 2024 leading up to the previous agreement’s expiration date.
The new agreement was not included in the city’s meeting packet when council voted to approve it. At the time, The Sun News asked then interim city spokesperson Patrick Lloyd for a copy of it. He wrote via email that a proper Freedom of Information Act request would have to be submitted, but made no promises that the document would be handed over.
“S.C. FOIA also recognizes the importance of keeping confidential or proprietary information of companies who do business with public entities confidential by exempting certain information from being disclosed to the public,” he wrote in a Jan. 16 email to The Sun News.
A FOIA for the agreement was submitted the day before on Jan. 15. The City fulfilled that request over a month later on Feb. 27, 2025 with some redactions, records show.
