Hotel to rise at former Odette's site in New Hope after lease for state land

Owners of the former Chez Odette restaurant site in New Hope plan to move forward with plans for a boutique hotel on the property after gaining control of about a half-acre of surrounding state-owned land.

The lease, signed two weeks ago with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, grants use of the public lands to the hotel for 35 years, said Ron Gorodesky, managing director of the development project.

The DCNR-owned property was needed to allow public access to the landlocked parcel where the 36-guest-room hotel at 274 S. River Rd. — to be called Riverhouse at Odette's — is planned, Gorodesky said.

The lease terms require the hotel's development team to fix deteriorated canal walls and perform other improvements on the public lands, he said.

Chez Odette closed about a decade ago after suffering damage from flooding and storms. A historic structure on the site that previously accommodated part of the restaurant has been donated to the DCNR, which will move the building to another location to serve as a public-information center, Gorodesky said.

The Riverhouse hotel will include accommodations for weddings, a restaurant, and a rooftop bar, he said.