Adam's Mark

The Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown Dallas, Texas

Adam's Mark is a chain of two upscale hotels in the United States. The company is based in St. Louis, Missouri. The chain was founded in the early 1970s by Fred Kummer and the chain is currently owned by HBE, Inc., which was also founded by Kummer. While once numbering nearly 30 large hotels, because of financial difficulties and changing corporate strategies, the chain has already sold off most of its properties. The remaining five hotels in the chain are being sold to Oxford Lodging Advisory & Investment Group LLC in a transaction that is expected to complete by August 31, 2007. Following the sale to Oxford Lodging, at least two of the hotels (Denver and Dallas) are scheduled to be reflagged with Starwood's Sheraton brand.

History

The chain suffered greatly from a racial discrimination suit brought against them by the NAACP in 1999. The NAACP filed the suit on behalf of guests who attended the Black College Reunion in Florida in 1999. It alleged that Adam's Mark required guests to wear identification wristbands and were required to pay in advance. The suit, and subsequent 17-month boycott of the chain called by the NAACP, was settled out of court for $2 million (US). The company's relationship with African-American organizations has since improved, and in 2006, Adam's Mark had the top score of any hotel company on the NAACP's annual report card.

In 2003, the Memphis Adam's Mark was sold to Dallas-based Crow Holdings, manager of the real estate holdings of the Trammell Crow family. The hotel has undergone a US $12 million renovation and has reopened as a Hilton as of 2004.

In November 2004, the Philadelphia Adam's Mark (originally opened in 1965 as a Holiday Inn) was sold to the Target Corporation, forcing dozens out of work and closing the 23-story building down for good to make way for a new Target store building. Most demolition has finished, with all buildings and convention areas other than the main tower destroyed, and the main tower gutted as of May 7, 2006. On July 11, 2006, an unexpected collapse on the north side of the main tower trapped a construction worker helping to tear the building down.

In 2005, the 966 room Adam's Mark in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida was bought by Oxford Hospitality who converted the hotel to a Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront after a multi-million dollar renovation.

The Adam's Mark in Charlotte has been sold to the Chetrit Group and has closed its doors. At least one of the towers will reopen in 2006 as the Blake, a boutique hotel. As of March, 2008, the chain has dwindled to just two properties — Indianapolis and Buffalo. The Denver and Dallas properties are being reflagged as Sheraton Hotels, and the St. Louis hotel has become a premier Hyatt Regencyhotel, the second Hyatt in Downtown St. Louis.

In July 2006, the Adam's Mark in Dallas completed a $30 million renovation and opened the Tower Royale, a luxury 500 room hotel within a hotel. The Dallas hotel is home to many conventions such as, Project A-Kon.

The Adam's Mark Hotels in Denver and Dallas will be re-branded as Sheraton properties by April, 2008. Complete renovations of both hotels are planned, but are not expected to be complete until mid-2009.

The flagship hotel of the chain, the Adam's Mark St. Louis, has now been re-branded as the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront (as of April 2008). The chartres Lodging group is spending at least $63m in renovations at the property.

See also

Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

External links

• Adam's Mark Hotels & Resorts
• Adam's Mark Philadelphia Deconstruction - Pictures taken of the Philadelphia Adam's Mark in the process of being torn down.
• Injury Video - Local CBS video footage of the aftermath of the Philadelphia Adam's Mark accident, and the state of the deconstruction as of July 11, 2006.

http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/2/8/114059/4375/hotels/Adam_s_Mark_Hotels_in_Denver_and_Dallas_to_Get_Sheraton_Makeover

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/02/04/daily59.html