A near $25-million redevelopment of a downtown Windsor hotel is now complete.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday at the DoubleTree by Hilton Windsor Hotel and Suites at 333 Riverside Dr. W.
London-based developer Shmuel Farhi bought the former Radisson Hotel in 2013 with plans to redevelop the property.
The site use to have 208 rooms but the work saw the entire inside of the hotel reconstructed and it now has 120 rooms with 41 suites.
There's also a restaurant, the River Room, with a view of the Detroit River.
Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens and developer Shmuel Farhi take part in a ribbon-cutting outside the DoubleTree by Hilton Windsor Hotel and Suites at 333 Riverside Dr. W. in downtown Windsor. Nov. 29, 2022 (Photo by Rusty Thomson)
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says this is a huge investment in a hotel that had fallen into a state of disrepair.
"Mr. Farhi said 'I'm going to try to do something good here, I'm going to try to bring a Hilton brand on board.' He went out and got a Hilton brand, which is known around the world and spent $25-million in a hotel that's going to bring 100 jobs," he says. "He fought through the pandemic to get the project done, despite a rising inflation rate and supply chain challenges, he got it done."
Farhi Holdings had an original price tag for the project in the range of $16-million but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the work and impacted the final total investment.
One of the rooms at the newly redeveloped DoubleTree by Hilton Windsor Hotel and Suites at 333 Riverside Dr. W. in downtown Windsor. Nov. 29, 2022 (Photo by Rusty Thomson)
Dilkens believes an investment like this will help improve the downtown.
"Don't forget from a city perspective, from our business prospective, hotels pay a lot in property taxes. Their good investments to have and they're built knowing that can be profitable , which means attracting visitors to the community. So this in great in terms of another piece for downtown revitalization, it speaks to what the private sector sees in our city that we don't always see ourselves," he says.
The redevelopment of the hotel received $3.3-million from the Downtown Windsor Enhancement Strategy and Community Improvement Plan that offers grants and tax rebates for projects that attract more people downtown and redevelop existing properties.
Farhi Holdings also owns the Best Western Plus at 277 Riverside Dr. W. and the Holiday Inn and Express 33 Riverside Dr. E., which was redeveloped in 2017.
One of the new rooms at newly redeveloped DoubleTree by Hilton Windsor Hotel and Suites at 333 Riverside Dr. W. in downtown Windsor. Nov. 29, 2022 (Photo by Rusty Thomson)