It's T-minus 24 hours at the Davenport Hotel -- just one day before thousands of visitors are expected to tour the renovated downtown landmark -- and the overtime clock is ticking.

"Our paint crew is ready to stay until 6 in the morning if they have to," said construction manager Shawn O'Kert, who hasn't had a day off since June.

One subcontractor reportedly worked 32 hours straight, wiring the hotel for Internet access.

Owner Walt Worthy figured his team has racked up $100,000 in overtime so far, rushing to hit the Monday deadline he imposed for reopening the Davenport. "But it was a good trade-off compared to an extra $1 million in ongoing costs if we'd just kept rolling along. We needed to draw a line in the sand."

Worthy and his wife, Karen, bought the historic hotel two years ago for $6.5 million, and spent another $30 million -- twice the projected budget -- bringing it back to life.

This weekend's free tours will focus on the refurbished lobby and Isabella Room, the new restaurant, the banquet kitchen and several guest rooms. Members of Friends of the Davenport will serve as docents, and light refreshments will be served.

One-hundred and sixty rooms will open to guests Monday night; another 124 should be finished in time for Sept. 14's grand opening.

Worthy snapped shut his cell phone

Thursday, assured that a truckload of couches and chairs he'd bought a month ago were finally leaving a North Carolina warehouse and will arrive in Spokane by Sunday morning.

He stood in the hotel's grand lobby, surrounded by palm trees and overstuffed wing chairs. At the west end of the lobby, a gas fire blazed away in defiance of the 90-something-degree temperature outside.

Worthy's enthusiasm was blazing, too. "Everything is turning out better than I ever imagined," he said.

One day earlier, Worthy treated more than 200 construction workers to lunch in the opulent Marie Antoinette Ballroom. "They went through over 300 pounds of ribs, plus hot wings, salad and fruit" prepared in the 8,000-square-foot basement banquet kitchen. "Man alive, those guys can eat," he said. "Especially the young ones."

Eat, and work.

O'Kert, the 32-year-old construction manager, has put in a seemingly endless string of 12-hour days -- including the Fourth of July holiday -- much to the chagrin of his pregnant wife, who's at home with their 2-year-old son. "She really wishes the Davenport were done," said O'Kert.

Yet many tasks have been put on hold -- the basement spa and pool, the new ballroom and parking garage, several retail shops and four floors of guest rooms -- as O'Kert's crews and subcontractors scramble to prepare the hotel for Saturday's first tour group.

Between now and then, he said, "We'll run around putting out little fires -- that's what we call it in the construction industry -- things we forgot or missed: some trim here, a couple of screws there, putting up signs.

The hotel's main restaurant, the 88-seat

Palm Court, is nearly finished and will start serving dinner Tuesday night. Lunches will commence July 22, and breakfasts July 29.

The hotel's 120-seat lounge, The Peacock Room, was to open Tuesday, as well, but is a week behind schedule, O'Kert said. And its elaborate stainedglass ceiling art may take even longer.

The hotel is fully booked for Monday, but the rest of the week is another story. "Lots of rooms are available after the first night," said Worthy. "Lots of rooms."

O'Kert said he'll probably reserve a night in the hotel eventually. "But I don't really have much desire to stay here right now. I've spent too much time here already. I'm really looking forward to going home."

Staff writer Michael Guilfoil can be reached at (509) 459-5491 or by e-mail at mikegu@spokesman.com.