The Hotel Heron in Old Town wants to add live DJ entertainment at its rooftop restaurant, according to a plan going before the Planning Commission next week.
The 134-room boutique hotel at 699 Prince Street, near the intersection with S. Washington Street, opened in 2024 and is owned by the Aparium Hotel Group. The hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Good Fortune, opened soon after, and now the hotel owners are asking the city to approve DJ and live music Thursday to Sunday nights.
City staff support the request to add live music, provided that the hotel restricts the hours it will be played. Live music is proposed for 5-9 p.m. on Thursdays, 5-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 1-7 p.m. on Sundays.
The restaurant currently operates from 4-10 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 3-10 p.m. Saturdays through Sundays. Its special use permit allows outdoor dining hours between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. daily.
“Our rooftop bar and restaurant, is open seasonally from March to November,” Aparium Hotel Group said in its special use permit application. “We currently have house music within the space that is played at or below 65 decibels, and closes within current parameters of closing at 9 p.m. during the week and 10 pm. on weekends. We seek the ability to host local DJs to play music (within the 65 decibels prior to 9 p.m. and under 60 decibels between 9 and 10 p.m. on weekends) and no microphone would be used.”
Hotel Heron would also have to use an in-house sound system to monitor noise levels. The city would also revisit the application six months after approval, and then again after a year to “review compliance with these conditions and the use’s compatibility at this site,” according to a city staff report.
“No amplified sound shall be audible at the property line after 11:00 p.m.,” city staff said.
There have been a number of noise complaints against the restaurant. According to the staff report:
The restaurant has a history of noise complaints, predominantly in 2024. On October 11, 2024, a zoning inspector issued a warning citation after confirming audible noise beyond the property line after 9 p.m., a violation of Condition #12 of SUP #2018-00064 and the noise ordinance. Past complaint records notate that staff has informed the business of the SUP’s noise condition and the noise ordinance. One complaint was received in May 2026. In response, City staff contacted the owner, then conducted a follow-up inspection, confirming the music had been turned off. Staff visited the site on the evening of April 30th, 2026 to evaluate the sound levels for the proposed live entertainment. The business had an instrumentalist playing the guitar and singing at what would be standard operating levels. Staff measured the sound from the ground floor across the street at two different times. For the first measurement, staff noted audible noise levels. For the second measurement, the business lowered the volume, and the sound was not audible. This testing was done around 5:30 p.m. during hours that generally produce more noise than later hours due to traffic and the site’s proximity to Washington Street.
The Planning Commission will review the request at its June 2 meeting at 6:30 p.m.
