The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel

The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, commonly known as the Cornhusker Hotel, is a full-service hotel in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. The present property opened on December 21, 1983, replacing an earlier Hotel Cornhusker that had operated on the same block since 1926. The current development was conceived as part of a broader redevelopment project that combined hotel accommodation with office space, parking, an atrium, and convention facilities. Its location in the state capital gives it a business, government, university, event, and convention-oriented role within Lincoln’s hospitality market. The original Hotel Cornhusker was announced in 1925 and opened on July 6, 1926. It had 350 rooms across twelve floors and was built on the site of a former First Presbyterian church. The property changed ownership during the twentieth century, including a 1930 purchase by A. Q. Schimmel, who also owned Omaha’s Blackstone Hotel. From 1954 through 1970, it served as the headquarters of the Nebraska Club. Radisson Hotel Corporation acquired the original hotel from the Schimmel family in 1969. The first hotel closed in 1978 after its owners concluded that preserving and continuing to operate the aging building would not be economically practical. First National Bank of Omaha acquired the property for redevelopment, and the original structure was imploded on February 20, 1982. Los Angeles developer David Murdock led plans for the replacement project, initially referred to as Cornhusker Square. The redevelopment was designed to include a new hotel, a convention center, office space, and related urban infrastructure. It was the first hotel project in Lincoln to use tax-increment financing. The replacement hotel opened in late 1983. The building has ten floors and 297 rooms, and the wider complex includes a seven-story office building, a parking garage, a three-story atrium, and convention facilities. The property first adopted the Marriott franchise in April 2005. Marriott later withdrew the franchise in 2012 after renovations required under the franchise relationship were not completed. Marcus Hotels and Resorts purchased the property later in 2012, carried out renovations, and returned it to the Marriott system. The hotel’s principal offering is full-service lodging supported by meeting and convention space, food and beverage operations, guest services, and event infrastructure. Its positioning is best understood as an upper-upscale, convention-capable downtown hotel rather than a narrowly specialized resort or limited-service property. The Marriott affiliation provides access to a global hotel brand and loyalty ecosystem, while local ownership and management interests connect the property to Lincoln’s civic, commercial, and event economy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel closed in March 2020 and reopened in August of that year. In March 2025, plans were announced for the convention center to be rebuilt at a new location across the street from the hotel. The announced change concerns the surrounding convention infrastructure rather than a reidentification of the hotel itself. The property remains an operating Lincoln hotel under the Marriott name.

The Cornhusker name originated with the first Hotel Cornhusker, which was announced in July 1925 and built on the site of Lincoln’s former First Presbyterian church. The twelve-story, 350-room hotel opened on July 6, 1926. It became one of the city’s principal full-service hotels and later had an important connection to Nebraska’s hospitality and civic institutions. In 1930, A. Q. Schimmel acquired the property; Schimmel also owned the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha. The Nebraska Club used the hotel as its headquarters from 1954 until 1970. Radisson Hotel Corporation purchased the property from the Schimmel family in 1969. The original building closed in 1978. Its owners argued that continued operation and preservation were not economically realistic, and the site was sold to First National Bank of Omaha for comprehensive redevelopment. The old hotel was imploded on February 20, 1982. Redevelopment plans led by Los Angeles developer David Murdock initially used the name Cornhusker Square and contemplated a mixed-use complex containing a replacement hotel, convention facilities, offices, and parking. The project used tax-increment financing, making it the first hotel development in Lincoln to employ that financing method. Construction began following demolition, and the replacement hotel opened on December 21, 1983. The new building was smaller than its predecessor in room count but formed part of a larger urban complex. It has ten floors and 297 rooms, while the associated development includes a seven-story office building, parking garage, three-story atrium, and convention center. Together, these components made the property a significant downtown lodging and events destination rather than a stand-alone accommodation building. The hotel joined the Marriott franchise in April 2005. That relationship was interrupted in 2012, when Marriott withdrew the franchise because required renovations had not been completed. Marcus Hotels and Resorts acquired the property later that year, renovated it, and returned it to the Marriott system. The episode marked a major operational transition, shifting the hotel from one Marriott relationship to a period outside the system and then back into the brand network under new ownership. The property’s operating role is shaped by its location in Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska. Its customer base and uses include business travelers, government-related visitors, event attendees, convention groups, and leisure guests seeking a centrally located full-service hotel. Meeting and banquet capabilities complement guest rooms and help connect the property to Lincoln’s downtown event economy. The hotel closed in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened in August 2020. In March 2025, plans were announced to rebuild the convention center at a new location across the street. This proposed relocation represents a change in the surrounding event infrastructure and may affect the hotel’s convention relationship, but the available reference material does not establish a completed redevelopment or a change to the hotel’s ownership or Marriott affiliation. The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel therefore remains an active Marriott-branded hotel whose identity combines a historic local name, a 1983 replacement building, and a long-standing role in downtown Lincoln’s lodging and convention market.

• 2025

  Convention center relocation announced

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Plans were announced to rebuild the convention center across the street from the hotel.

• 2020

  Pandemic closure and reopening

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel closed in March and reopened in August during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2012

  Ownership and franchise status changed

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Marriott withdrew the franchise, Marcus Hotels and Resorts acquired the property, and renovations preceded its return to the Marriott system.

• 2005

  Marriott affiliation began

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The owners placed the hotel under the Marriott franchise.

• 1983

  Replacement hotel opened

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The present hotel officially opened on December 21 as part of the Cornhusker Square redevelopment.

• 1982

  Original building imploded

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The original Hotel Cornhusker was demolished by implosion on February 20.

• 1978

  Original hotel closed

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The first hotel closed as part of plans for redevelopment of the block.

• 1969

  Radisson acquired the original hotel

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Radisson Hotel Corporation purchased the original property from the Schimmel family.

• 1926

  Original Hotel Cornhusker opened

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The first Hotel Cornhusker opened on July 6 with 350 rooms.

• 1925

  Original Hotel Cornhusker announced

  [1]The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Plans were announced for a twelve-story hotel on the site of the former First Presbyterian church in Lincoln.

Upper-upscale, full-service downtown business and convention hotel

• Hotel accommodation · 1983

  Guest rooms

  The present property provides 297 rooms in a ten-story full-service hotel. Accommodation is designed for business, government, convention, event, and leisure visitors staying in central Lincoln.

• Events and hospitality services · 1983

  Meeting and convention facilities

  Meeting, convention, and banquet facilities are an important part of the hotel complex and support group events, business functions, civic activity, and other gatherings associated with downtown Lincoln.

• Hospitality services · 1983

  Full-service hotel operations

  The hotel combines lodging with guest services, food and beverage operations, event support, and business-oriented hospitality under its Marriott affiliation.

• 2025

  Convention center relocation planStrategy

  Background

  The existing convention infrastructure associated with the hotel complex was slated for redevelopment.

  Action taken

  Plans were announced to rebuild the convention center across the street from the hotel.

  Aftermath

  The available material does not establish whether construction had begun or been completed.

  Source

• 2020

  Temporary pandemic closureStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted hotel operations and travel demand.

  Action taken

  The property closed in March 2020 and reopened in August.

  Aftermath

  The hotel resumed operations after a temporary closure; no further operational details are established by the reference material.

  Source

• 2012

  Franchise withdrawal and ownership transitionOther

  Background

  Required renovations had not been completed, leading Marriott to withdraw the franchise. The property subsequently changed hands.

  Action taken

  Marcus Hotels and Resorts purchased the hotel, renovated it, and returned it to the Marriott system later in the year.

  Aftermath

  The hotel regained its Marriott affiliation under new ownership following renovation work.

  Source

• 2005

  Adoption of the Marriott franchiseStrategy

  Background

  The hotel’s owners sought a major international hotel-brand affiliation for the Lincoln property.

  Action taken

  The property was placed under the Marriott franchise in April 2005.

  Aftermath

  The hotel operated as a Marriott property, although the initial franchise relationship was later interrupted in 2012.

  Source

1. 1The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotelen.wikipedia.org