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The Holiday Inn Near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has launched a $4 million renovation to update the hotel from the top down and inside out by July.
Planned are updates to the building's exterior, ballroom, 225 guest rooms and suites, lobby, bar and restaurant Guy Hollerin's, with plans to add a new "e-bar" and media lounge where guests can sip coffee or a drink while getting online or catching the TV news.
Franchise operator Ann Arbor Farms Hotel Corp. recently signed a third 10-year franchise agreement with Holiday Inn that begins in April, general manager Joseph Sefcovic said.
The principals of Ann Arbor Farms Hotel Corp. are businessmen from the Chicago area, he said, with David Lonsway of Rockford serving as president. Sefcovic declined to name the other principals.
The renovation was a condition of getting the franchise license renewed, but the ownership group is going beyond required updates and minimum levels of finishes, he said.
"We want to position the hotel in the marketplace to enhance our guest experience for the next 10 years."
The project is the first comprehensive renovation under Ann Arbor Farms Hotel Corp., Sefcovic said, though the owners have completed other updates as needed.
The hotel's 2011 revenue exceeded $7 million, Sefcovic said, noting that last year produced the highest results of any year since the ownership group acquired the hotel from Tom Monaghan in march 1993.
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