Following Lawrence Group’s successful completion of Columbia, Missouri’s original The Broadway – A DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in 2013, the team was tapped for a second time to provide interior design/FFE (Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment) design + specification on a $25 million expansion.
Following years of planning, construction started in 2023 on a 73,215 sq ft, eight-story tower addition that nearly doubles the original hotel’s capacity and meets the increasing demand for meeting/convention space in the vibrant college town, home to the University of Missouri (Mizzou).
The tower, opened in June 2025 in time to meet the demands of the university’s academic school year, includes:
- 80 guest rooms
- A large, top floor meeting space with a skyfold partition connecting to the rooftop bar in the original tower
- Additional meeting/conference space and an additional boardroom for meetings on the lower levels
As the interior designer on the project, Lawrence Group’s team was challenged with matching the addition’s interior with the design language of the original hotel, while also finding new ways to realize the “Harvest of Life” theme inspired by Columbia’s natural landscape.
“A rich, mature color palette is embodied through modern, organic forms; tactical wood walls adorn the pre-function spaces and lobby, while a flowing carpet pattern pulls inspiration from the nearby Missouri River,” said Lawrence Group Senior Interior Designer Katie Alderson. “New guest rooms further build on the design aesthetic through calming, earthy material selections, allowing the bolder color selections in the common spaces to truly pop.”
In addition to interior design, Lawrence Group led the FF&E design and specification for the expansion, developing a furniture package that aligns with Hilton’s DoubleTree standards while continuing the design language established in the original hotel.
Guestroom furnishings emphasize comfort and function, pairing warm wood tones and soft textiles with layouts that work for both leisure and business travelers. In the meeting and event spaces, furniture was selected to support a variety of configurations, allowing the hotel to easily transition between conferences, university events, and private gatherings.
“The selections focused on durability and flexibility, with an understanding that the property serves both university visitors and large groups. Materials and finishes were chosen to complement the hotel’s warm, organic palette while standing up to the demands of a high-use hospitality environment,” said Lawrence Group Senior Interior Designer Galen Vassar.
Lawrence Group worked closely with ownership, the brand, and project partners to ensure that the addition’s interior supported both the design intent and the operational needs of the entire hotel.
“Lawrence Group was a tremendous partner in bringing The Broadway in Columbia to life. From the beginning, they understood that our vision was to create something truly authentic to downtown Columbia and the University of Missouri community—not just another branded hotel that could exist anywhere. Their team took the time to understand the character of the neighborhood, the energy of the university, and the type of experience we wanted guests to have the moment they walked through the doors,” said Bob Pinkerton, Vice President of Operations at The Broadway.
LLW Architects was the architect on the project, with PARIC serving as the general contractor.
