Adoba Prepares to Finalize Purchase, Start Renovations of Former Dearborn Hyatt

Things are relatively quiet lately at the Adoba Hotel Dearborn/Detroit—but that's OK, according to Global Head of Adoba Adrienne Pumphrey.

The eco-friendly hotel brand—an offshoot of Atmosphere Hospitality focused on creating LEED-certified properties—took over the former Hyatt hotel on Nov. 1. They have since been working to transition staff, assess the property's renovation needs and prepare to fomally purchase the hotel on Jan. 15, Pumphrey confirmed.

"This is a long term venture for us," she said. "But we're still able to service customers now."

The Colorado-based Atmosphere Hospitality started their "green" brand, Adoba, in 2010. They also operate a hotel in Rapid City, SD.

"We laid claim to that—the first LEED hotel brand in the country," Pumphrey said.

She shared that they are currently surveying the Dearborn property to discuss design and renovation needs—both to bring the hotel up-to-date, and to make it LEED certified.

The process will likely take around 36 months, although the full renovation—along with esimated costs—is still not set. To start, differences will be subtle—LED light bulbs, low-flow toilets, business cards made of recycled paper for Pumphrey and other staff. It's "everyday sustainability," as Pumphrey called it.

"We changed the light bulbs; we changed the shower heads," she said. "It's the little things you don't even need to look for."

Likewise, most of the major renovations needed to make the hotel "green" wil be internal.

But turning the 772-room Dearborn hotel into a top choice for visitors to the area will require more than just being sustainable.

Hyatt's announced departure from the hotel, which it had operated since the opening in 1976, created uncertainty for would-be customers—not just as a place to stay the night, but as a popular spot for conventions, fundraisers and other big events.

As such, Pumphrey admitted, things have been off to a slow start for Adoba—though they did still hold the property's signature Champagne Explosion to ring in 2013. But the hope is that the buzz surrounding their eco-friendly status will grow, and their service will keep people coming back.

And Adoba was happy to discover that Dearborn is a city very keen on being green.

"We met with the mayor, and there's so much we can align with and contribute," Pumphrey said. "The visions are endless—you just have to have a community that's into it, and Dearborn is into it."