Detroit-based Invictus Equity Group purchased a controlling interest in the city’s Hotel St. Regis. According to Ton Saunders, partner at Invictus, former GM executive Roy S. Roberts is also working with Invictus in the acquisition, while the O’Neil D. Swanson family, previous owners of the hotel, will retain a large ownership position with the property.
As part of the acquisition, the hotel’s new ownership team is planning to invest $6 million in updates to the property. These updates will include a new lobby bar, a renovated restaurant, and changes to guestrooms and the hotel’s conference center. Renovations are expected to commence within the next 90 days, and the team is also considering the creation of a new rooftop patio, offering views of the nearby Fisher Building.
“It’s a gorgeous building with a lot of history and when you look at all of the energy that is shifting into the New Center area at this time, we feel it has the potential to be an anchor institution for the area,” Saunders said in a statement. “The fact that it is located close to the last stop on the Q Line adds to its attractiveness and the impact it can have on the area. We are looking to create a dynamic experience that will keep people coming back for more.”
Architects McIntosh Poris Associates have signed on for the renovation. McIntosh Poris recently converted Detroit’s Fire Headquarters into the Detroit Foundation Hotel, which included interior design by Simeone Deary Design Group. Rockford Construction has been chosen as the hotel’s general contractor, while Kyle Evans Design will be the hotel’s project designer. AHC+Hospitality was chosen as the hotel’s management company.
“We are excited by the potential Invictus brings to the future of the hotel,” O’Neil Swanson, president and founder of Swanson Funeral Home and a co-owner of the hotel, said in a statement. “We share their vision for updating its facilities and believe with their involvement and leadership we will achieve the goals for the hotel that my family envisioned when we took an ownership position several years ago. We look forward to working with them.”
The Hotel St. Regis Detroit opened August 1966 as a destination for General Motors executives en route to the company’s headquarters in Detroit, as well as international travelers. The property remains connected to the former GM World Headquarters via skywalk, as well as Cadillac Place and the Fisher Building.