At the Hilton’s 2016 Development Awards, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Downtown was awarded the New Build/Adaptive Reuse of the Year award. HRI Properties, LLC were the developers for the $110 million conversion of the Plymouth Building into the Embassy Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Downtown, with hotel design firm The Gettys Group and Design-Builder Ryan Companies US. Inc. collaborating on the project. The Embassy Suites Minneapolis was honored because it met and exceeded the Hilton brand and quality standards while also influencing its community.
The Plymouth Building, which is now the home of the Embassy Suites, was known as the world’s biggest all-reinforced concrete office building when it was constructed; it was recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Honoring the Plymouth Building’s status, the Embassy Suites preserved the original Beaux-Arts architecture through tall entry doors, granite staircases, marble guestroom hallways, and large guest room windows. While preserving the history of the building, the hotel encompasses many modern amenities such as a 2,000-square-foot fitness center, on-site heated parking, 9,000 square feet of meeting space including a 3,600-square-foot ballroom, as well as a large lobby bar and Lyon’s Pub next door. In addition to on-site amenities, the Suites are located in the Business and Warehouse District, and are directly linked through the skyway system to provide easy access to other restaurants, offices, shops, nightlife, Target Field and Target Center.
“HRI Properties is honored to be recognized on an international level for our transformational work with The Embassy Suites Minneapolis Downtown,” says Tom Leonhard, CEO at HRI Properties. “Breathing new life into the iconic Plymouth Building by creating this beautiful hotel elevates the urban experience in downtown Minneapolis. We succeeded in updating the building from a design perspective while being respectful of the building’s original architectural features. It’s nice to know that our peers within Hilton think so too.”
