From Ashes To uccess by Les Somogyi he evening of August 9, 2018 will be a day Xia Zhang likely will never forget. His hotel, the Days Inn, he had just purchased out of bankruptcy less than a year before had the making of a Reynoldsburg hotel survives devastating fire and two years of rebuild Xia Zhang, owner of the Days Inn, in the front lobby of his newly renovated hotel on Brice Road, in front of a marble wall where a devastating fire more than two years ago (below) destroyed his business. blockbuster day. The traditional Reynoldsburg area car racing crowd had a hot summer day. Nearly all of the rooms were occupied. Things couldn’t be any better. Then, shortly after 7:30 in the evening, the call came in. His hotel was on fire. More than 150 firefighters from the Truro Township Fire Department and from several area fire stations battled the flames for three days. The Red Cross was called in to accommodate displaced guests. When it was all over he was devastated. Most of Zhang’s hotel was in ashes or under water. It was in danger of collapsing. No one was hurt in the fire, thank goodness. But for Zhang, a Chinese-American businessman, who has been in the hotel business for more than twenty years, the future looked quite bleak. Although initial determinations said that the fire started in an attic, weeks of investigation by fire officials and insurance adjustors revealed that the fire started by a cigarette butt tossed into mulch. Zhang had to make a major business decision: raze the remaining structure or invest in major restoration. Today, he is proudly showing off his hotel and he is confident that he made the right decision to rebuild. He invested millions of dollars to become a successful business venture. He wants to be what he calls a “good neighbor” in Reynoldsburg. His investment in the latest security The nightmare of Aug. 9, 2018. Pictures by local news media showed the carnage of the evening that lasted three full days and left this Reynoldsburg hotel in limbo for more than two years. measures, and his attention to details in check-in procedures to make the business grow in the right direction puts him in the right way to success. Like many small business owners, he works seven days a week, 12 hours a day at the hotel. He is in constant touch with the city and he is open to any and all suggestions by the city’s administration including the mayor, city attorney and the police department. He offers his space to firefighters and police departments for training purposes. And once in a while, if police bring in a homeless person in need of a place to sleep, he responds generously. The Days Inn, the oldest of three hotels in Reynoldsburg, is likely headed for renewed success. Zhang has 152 completely remodeled rooms from the ground up, a banquet hall that’s ready for events, a restaurant and pub and a large swimming pool in the back of the complex that will open this summer if Covid circumstances will allow. For added security and safety, the hotel is equipped with 48 high definition security cameras and strict check-in procedures that are consistent with the latest security measures in the industry. Zhang is excited about his investment in the future. His biggest challenge is to be able to blend in with the community, keep the hotel on the right track and serve the travel industry as part of the established and reputable name of Day Inn in times when travel and hospitality are under a great deal of pressure. 10 Reynoldsburg Magazine • Spring, 2021 Reynoldsburg Magazine Photo
11 Publizr Home