Auro Hotels unveils plans for seven dining venues downtown

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Auro Hotels this week unveiled final plans for seven food and beverage venues in the AC Hotel Greenville nearing completion on S. Main Street at the Camperdown development.

The hotel will also offer nearly 10,000 square feet of dedicated space for meetings and events and an additional 19,000 square feet of space will be available through rental of the food and beverage outlets.

The entire hotel, with a minimalist design influenced by the Spanish origins of the AC Hotel brand, is an homage to the city of Greenville, said John Deck, general manager of AC Hotel Greenville. Some of it pays tribute to the history of the Camperdown area’s historic role as home of the Greenville News.

One of the dining and beverage options is a modern speakeasy called The Press Room. Patrons who make reservations for The Press Room will receive an access code. They will reach the venue from an elevator on Camperdown Plaza, separate from the guest room part of the hotel. When they step off the elevator, the only thing there will be a room that looks like an old editor’s office, Deck said. The editor’s desk will have some of the tools of an editor: typewriter, telephone, calculator. When the code is punched into the right one — the hotel is not saying which one publicly — a door to The Press Room will slide open.

Deck said the room will feature signature cocktails inspired by the Greenville News, as well as a view of downtown that includes the newspaper’s modern offices.  

Only one public gathering space — an interior conference room — does not have a view of the city.

Other dining and beverage options are:

Paloma, a Mediterranean-inspired tapas bar on the ground floor and open onto the corner of Main and Broad streets. Indoor diners will have views of Main Street and a breeze provided by a glass NanaWall that will open up to an assortment of tables with white umbrellas on the outdoor plaza.

Social Burger, a walk-up burger and milkshake bar located on Camperdown Plaza. To-go orders will be placed at Social Burger’s window. Camperdown Plaza will have tables and chairs.

AC Kitchen, a European-inspired spot, will offer fresh breakfast foods daily. It will be available to hotel guests and also open to the public.

Juniper, on the roof of the hotel, is a flexible bar and food area that can be expanded to include or exclude other venues on the roof. They include an urban gin bar that also offers small-plate dining and serves as home to the open-air Secret Cocktail Garden. Fire Box, also on the roof, will serve Neapolitan-style pizzas cooked in a gas oven imported from Italy. One of several event spaces in the hotel is also on the roof, Jasmine Hall, which overlooks Camperdown Plaza.

“Greenville is on the rise as a beautiful destination for cuisine, arts and culture, and we feel AC Hotel Greenville will perfectly complement the city and also introduce something new and different to its downtown scene,” Deck said in a news release.

The hotel is expected to open early in 2021.