Columbia City Council Recognizes Local Business Hotel Trundle & Owners Rita Patel & Marcus Munse With Proclamation
On October 5, 2021, Columbia City Council was pleased to honor local business owners Rita Patel and Marcus Munse of Hotel Trundle with a proclamation recognizing their success and economic/cultural contributions to Columbia’s Main Street Business District. The husband and wife business owners opened Hotel Trundle in 2018, and in August the boutique hotel was featured and designated as 5th best in USA Today’s List of 10 Best Historic Hotels.
“It is phenomenal Rita and Marcus saw enormous economic potential in renovating three empty storefronts just off Main Street, and combined their backgrounds in design and hospitality to transform the spaces into the boutique Hotel Trundle, finding creative opportunities to build a new brand by focusing on the historic nature of the property,” said Mayor Steve Benjamin. “I also find it inspiring they are known for the genuine concern and appreciation they have for their staff, and they were able to retain all nineteen members of their staff throughout the economic hardships of the pandemic.”
Located at 1224 Taylor Street, Hotel Trundle is composed of three historic commercial former retail businesses – Rose Talbert Paints (1914), Powell Furniture (1920), and Western Auto (1940), now transformed into one space. The room layout of the hotel was designed around the 1920s-1940s era historical conditions of each of the three buildings. Since opening in 2018, more than 28,000 guests have stayed at Hotel Trundle, and 80% of their expenses go directly back to Columbia and surrounding cities by using local suppliers, vendors, and service providers.
“We are so excited and honored to be recognized by the City of Columbia by this incredible grand gesture,” Patel said. “Hotel Trundle was started as a leap of faith and now, because of our community, we have been able to thrive and grow into a nationally recognized boutique hotel. We continue to be grateful for our incredible team and guests as they are the heart of what makes our hotel great.”