Hotel Mead and Conference Center in Wisconsin Rapids has been sold

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Hotel Mead and Conference Center, 451 E. Grand Ave., has been sold.

The 69-year-old hotel was sold to Founders Collection 2 LLC of Marquette, Michigan. It has been owned and operated by SKD Hotel Mead LLC for the past seven years, according to a news release from Hotel Brokers International.

“We are very excited to add Hotel Mead to our portfolio of Founders Collection Hotels," Charles Holsworth of Base Hospitality Group said in the release. “We have enjoyed meeting community members and we are eager to be part of what's happening in Wisconsin Rapids.”

In addition to 150 guest rooms, Hotel Mead features a large atrium lobby, restaurant, tavern, market place, conference center, guest laundry, indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna and fitness room.

“Attracting visitors continues to play an integral role in growing our local economy,” Mayor Zach Vruwink said in a news release. “Investments in our airport, regional recreational amenities and welcoming hospitality will insure a more thriving tourism base which, in turn, supports local businesses. The volume of visitors staying overnight has improved in recent years demonstrating the importance of the Hotel Mead and all the city’s hotels for employment and economic activity.”

Consolidated Papers built the hotel in 1951 to accommodate travelers and tourists to the area. Its name was changed to The Mead Inn in 1962, and then back to Hotel Mead in 1999. The originally 85-room hotel’s famous guests have included Richard Nixon, Jacqueline Kennedy, Glen Campbell, Duke Ellington and Gene Autry.

The hotel underwent a significant upgrade in 1979, when a five-story tower added about 60 guest rooms, a dining room, meeting rooms, large atrium and swimming pool. Another remodeling project in 1999 added a four-story West Tower with 89 rooms to replace the facility’s old West Wing.

Consolidated Papers sold the hotel to Stora Enso Oyj when the company purchased Consolidated in 2000. It also was included when NewPage Corp. bought the former Stora Enso North America properties in December 2007. NewPage sold the business in February 2008 to W R Hotel Properties.

SKD purchased the hotel in 2012 from Balmoral Realty, the real estate arm of WoodTrust Bank, which bought the property as the only bidder at a July 2011 sheriff’s sale, bringing the property out of foreclosure.

“This property has always been an integral part of downtown Wisconsin Rapids,” said Joshua Paquette, also of Base Hospitality Group. “As we become part of the story of The Mead and Wisconsin Rapids, we will honor the past while looking toward the future.”

Source:  WisconsinRapidsTribune.com