Sale underway for raided Omaha hotel near I-80

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – An Omaha hotel raided by the FBI last summer is now getting a fresh start.

First Alert 6 confirmed with Pat Green of Hospitality and Commercial Brokers that the AmericInn Hotel near I-80 is currently in the process of being sold.

Green said the deal could take 90 to 120 days to finalize. Once completed, the new owners plan to clean up the property and reopen the vacant building as a hotel.

For 11 years, Smoking Jay’s BBQ has served customers at 13th and Vinton.

“It’s very close-knit,” said Jay. “People are like family around here. I get a lot of return guests, and it’s a great neighborhood to be in.”

Jay said the AmericInn Hotel, when it was in its prime, helped bring customers to his restaurant.

“Omaha Beef used to stay down there. They would come down, they would walk down because it is in walking distance,” Jay explained. “They would walk down to eat, and quite a few people would call to do deliveries there.”

Last summer, the AmericInn Hotel was one of four hotels raided by the FBI.

First Alert 6 later investigated squatters entering and leaving the building in October, which led to it being boarded up the following month.

Since the hotel closed in 2025, Jay said he has noticed a drop in foot traffic at his restaurant.

“You can tell that people not having a place to stay nearby means they stay elsewhere, and there are plenty of restaurants in Omaha,” Jay said. “They likely chose places closer to where they were staying. When the hotel was right down the street, we were more convenient for them.”

Now, the long-vacant property could soon welcome visitors again. The hotel sale is underway, and once finalized, the plan is to restore and reopen it.

Jay remains optimistic about the impact on the neighborhood his restaurant has served for over a decade.

“I think it will be much better for Omaha to have that hotel up and running again because it’s close to the zoo and the College World Series,” Jay said. “It’s nice to have it there.”

Jay said he will be ready when visitors begin returning.