RE Journals

Sept. 28, 2021

Cressy Commercial Real Estate and partner Mno-Bmadsen, the non-gaming investment arm of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, will celebrate the grand-opening of the historic Hotel Elkhart in Elkhart, Indiana, Sept. 28.

After more than two years of construction and delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hotel Elkhart will reopen as a hotel again after 98 years. The property is located in the historic Elkhart downtown on Main Street and joins Tapestry Collection by Hilton, a global portfolio of upscale properties.

The property was originally constructed as a hotel in 1923 and featured a coffee shop, restaurant and various meeting spaces. During this time, it served as a hub for business leaders, travelers and even some notable people in history such as Ed Sullivan and Robert Kennedy. The building functioned as a hotel until the early 1970s and then was utilized as an office building and apartment complex. It has also housed several different restaurants and retail spaces over the years.

The property offers 93 curated guest rooms, two restaurants, ballroom, meeting space and a rooftop bar. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served in Relish Café & Convections. The Corner Bar rightfully placed on the corner of Main Street and Marion Street, offers high-end cocktails, small-plates and lite-fare dinner. Additionally, the newly redesigned Aria Ballroom and Preludepre-function space located on the ninth floor will accommodate larger groups such as weddings, corporate events and conferences.

The property also offers small meeting rooms and boardrooms. Lastly, guests and locals will enjoy The High Note, the property’s rooftop bar, with sights of downtown and views of the surrounding county for miles.

Great care has been taken to preserve much of historical elements of the building, including the beautiful plaster ceilings in the lobby with intricate relief moldings, the terrazzo floors on the first-floor lobby and food and beverage spaces, along with the ballroom ceiling and cornices and the second-floor mezzanine windows, which have all been thoughtfully restored.

The development is championed by Cressy Commercial Development, Mno-Bmadsen, the non-gaming investment arm of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, the City of Elkhart and the Regional Cities program from the State of Indiana. Additionally, various grants, traditional lending and historic tax credits will fund the project.

Cressy Commercial Development is the contractor on the project; interior design is provided by Interior Image Group of Crown Point; architectural services by Joseph A. Dzierla and Associates; branding by Heart+Matter Brands, Richmond, Virginia; and pre-opening and post-opening hospitality operations management by Cornerstone Hospitality, LLC, Williamsburg, Virginia.