ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)—A decades-old hotel in downtown Albuquerque has had difficulty keeping its doors open as owners have come and gone. The property formerly known as Hotel Blue, and originally called The Downtowner, will open as Arrive Albuquerque sometime this spring. The hotel has sat vacant at the intersection of 8th and Central for several years. With the restoration, developers hope to bring new life to the area. "Albuquerque was a perfect market for us," said Chris Fregeau, Regional Director of Operations for Palisociety. According to the owners, the hotel will offer more than 130 rooms and seven suites. It will have a restaurant at the bottom named after the original hotel and will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They will also have a pool and poolside cocktail bar to accompany it. Albuquerque’s Hotel Blue renovations back on track following delays "In the warmer weather, guests can experience a tropical cocktail, small bites by the pool," Fregeau said. Their backdoor neighbor, Ex Novo Brewing Company – who opened their downtown location last August – says they're happy to see more businesses invest in the downtown area, and hope these developments incentivize other developers to build downtown. "We're really excited about Arrive Hotel behind us for a multitude of reasons," said Joel Gregory, Founder and President of Ex Novo. "Just bringing more light and traffic to that area." "Ex Novo has done a great job at creating a beautiful space and we really hope that when the hotel opens it kind of just builds on what they've already started," Fregeau explained. Suspect accused of shooting Albuquerque security guard appears in court However, operating a business downtown can come with challenges- such as dealing with crime and homelessness. Just a couple of weeks ago, a security guard was shot at El Rey Liquors just a block down from the hotel. A man tried to steal bottles of alcohol and the security guard intervened. But developers say they're taking steps to make sure guests feel safe. "It's a valid concern and of course, lots of major cities are going through similar issues right now," Fregeau added. "For us, the safety of our guests and our team is our number one priority." The hotel is expected to open for guests in April. The company says they will have a job fair on January 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. They're looking to fill jobs such as front desk personnel, guest services, property maintenance, and servers.