Mayor of Winooski Kristine Lott, with EastRise CEO John Dwyer and Treasurer Mike Pieciak. East Rise photos.
The 115-room Marriott Tribute hotel will feature a restaurant, rooftop bar, parking garage, and 83 apartments. It is slated to open in the Summer of 2026.
Vermont Business Magazine Nedde Real Estate held the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Sugar House Hotel in downtown Winooski on Wednesday at 11 Winooski Falls Way in Winooski. The unique 115-room Sugar House Hotel will be a part of the Marriott Tribute brand and offer a rooftop bar with views of the river, a restaurant, and event space. It is the first all-electric, net zero, no fossil fuel LEED Platinum certified hotel in the Marriott Global Family.
As the last major lot in the City of Winooski’s 20-year downtown development project, The City of Winooski awarded Nedde Real Estate the task to design, permit, and build the parking garage with the obligation to construct a hotel. The City obtained voter approval in July 2023.
“Since the late 1990s, our community has worked toward the vision of bringing a hotel to downtown Winooski. Through smart planning and public investment, I’m thrilled to see this long-standing goal come to life with the opening of the Sugar House Hotel. With construction underway on the voter-approved parking garage, we’re making critical progress towards Winooski's Strategic Vision and Master Plan, completing a decades-long effort to make downtown Winooski an incredible destination for residents and visitors,” said Mayor Kristine Lott.
The hotel will embrace, celebrate, and promote Vermont artisans and the spirit of Vermont’s strong environmental culture. In addition, guests will have the opportunity to make their own maple creemee at check-in.
“If I did not love maple creemees so much, I may have given up on this very challenging project years ago! The support from the City of Winooski, the financial collaboration from EastRise Credit Union, and the State Treasurer, Mike Pieciak, made it possible,” Doug Nedde said.
Primary lending for the hotel was spearheaded by EastRise Credit Union, which also underwrote funding from the Local Investment Advisory Committee (LIAC) from the Office of the State Treasurer.
“We are honored to be a part of such a unique hotel that will be an economic asset for the community,” EastRise CEO John Dwyer said. “It will also champion environmental sustainability, which aligns perfectly with the principles of EastRise. We are proud to support a development that will undoubtedly enrich the local landscape for years to come.”
“Vermont’s $4 billion tourism industry is a pillar of our economy, supporting thousands of jobs and small businesses in every corner of our state. The Sugar House Hotel will strengthen that foundation—bringing new visitors not just to Winooski, but to Vermont as a whole," said Treasurer Pieciak. "Strategic investments like this create ripple effects throughout the economy and ensure Vermont remains a top tourism destination for years to come. The Sugar House Hotel is also critical to supporting the larger development project that will add 83 apartments desperately needed of workforce housing in this community."
The Sugar House Hotel is slated to open in the Summer of 2026. The project architect is GBA, located across the river in the Chace Mill building, and Wright & Morrissey is the project manager.
Nedde Real Estate Owner, Doug Nedde:
“The Sugar House Hotel also reflects our responsibility to the Earth's climate. We will burn no fossil fuels. The hotel will be net zero, all-electric, LEED Platinum. That sentence cost me $3 million.”
“The hotel clearly will be environmentally sustainable, and I strongly believe you can be economically sustainable at the same time.”
Mayor of Winooski Kristine Lott:
“This project is much more than just a hotel … it brings 83 middle income housing rental opportunities to our city, something we know is critically needed. It brings over 50 new jobs to our local economy. And with the addition of 276 new parking spaces in our new three-level city garage, access and convenience in our downtown will be better than ever. All of this supports key goals in Winooski's strategic vision and master plan, making a truly significant milestone in our city's history.”
EastRise CEO John Dwyer:
“What truly sets this project apart is its ambition as the first net-zero zero fossil fuel hotel in the world for Marriott, this isn't just a win for Winooski and Vermont, it's a global benchmark. The project is a result of powerful community collaboration, something we at EastRise care deeply about.”
“We're honored to support the project that blends sustainability, community, and economic growth. The Sugar House Hotel stands as a testament to what's possible when vision meets partnership.”
Vermont State Treasurer, Mike Pieciak:
“This hotel will be something that welcomes people into Winooski, into the region and into Vermont, and support so many jobs here in Winooski and in the region.”
“Vermont is continuing to set the bar in the nation and in the world for how we can do economic development that supports our environmental goals, that those are not in competition with each other. And there's really no better example than the Sugar House Hotel in terms of meeting our economic needs while also being good stewards of our environment and our climate.”
6.25.2025. Burlington, VT – EastRise
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