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Island House Hotel history
Island House Hotel company history timeline
1860: Despite the hotel’s popularity among Michiganders, O’Malley nevertheless decided to sell the Island House Hotel to Captain Henry Van Allen.
Originally opened in 1870, the Island House hotel was designed as a luxury destination for the nation’s elite making the voyage along the northern shore of Lake Erie.
Though the first structure burned down in 1882, it had become such an Ohio icon that it was quickly rebuilt.
When the majestic wooden doors swung open again in 1886, the Island House Hotel sported fifty lavish hotel rooms, and yet only one communal bathroom.
Rose Van Allen Webster became proprietor of the hotel in 1892.
1895: To address the surging popularity of the Island House Hotel, the Webster family constructed the first of two extensions—the East wing.
The property underwent a thorough archeological dig to assure there were no burial grounds or fossils, clearing the way for the first addition to the hotel since 1912.
1938: Rose Van Allen Webster passed away, leaving the Island House Hotel in the hands of her descendants.
1942: The Websters reached an agreement to allow an international peace organization called the “Moral Re-Armament” to lease the building.
The Mackinac Island State Park Commission assumed ownership of the property in 1948.
The last tenant was a Switzerland-based international peace organization that ended its lease in 1949.
Hoping to restore the destination, a group of investors formed the Island House Incorporated in 1949.
Harry Ryba, son James and son-in-law Victor Callewaert, Todd’s father, purchased the hotel, which sat vacant from 1949-69, and leased the land from Mackinac Island State Park.
Fortunately, salvation arrived in 1969, when Harry Ryba and his son-in-law, Victor Callewaert, leased the ailing structure from the park.
Despite the best attempts of various stockholders, by 1969 the Island House had deteriorated so greatly that the Chairman of the Mackinac Island State Park, W.F. Doyle, believed it would need to be torn down.
During this two-year project, the Island House was closed to the general public but reopened with a spirited celebration on June 23, 1972.
The group moved to Mission Point two years later, and the hotel again stood vacant until 1972.
1973: After months petitioning the state government, Ryba and Callewaert successfully got the Island House Hotel listed as a Michigan Historic Landmark.
1995: The Callewaert family initiated another series of extensive renovations that brought significant change to the Island House Hotel.
Over the years, the owners have added an elevator, air conditioning and a 5,400-square-foot addition in 1995 that included an indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, three suites and the Ice House.
2005: The Island House Hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of America.
Turkel was designated as the “2014 Historian of the Year by Historic Hotels of America,” the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
One of a series of awards announced each year, the accolades honor hotels that “have maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity.” The family has been nominated for the award several times, most recently in 2019.
A $4 million refurbishment begun in 2019 continues this year with a focus on the lobby and three two-bedroom suites.
The 2020 honored hotels and hoteliers were selected from more than 250 nominees, received from historic hotels, historic preservation supporters, prior award recipients and leadership from Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide.
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Island House Hotel competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Hotel | 1887 | $72.0M | 650 | - |
| Chippewa Hotel | 1904 | $7.5M | 100 | - |
| Arizona Grand Resort & Spa | 1985 | $98.0M | 950 | 5 |
| Esplendor Resort | - | $550,000 | 7 | - |
| D and S North, LLC | - | $430,000 | 6 | 6 |
| Rancho Valencia | - | $24.8M | 350 | 46 |
| Arizona Inn | - | $2.7M | 100 | - |
| La Playa Carmel | - | $14.0M | 50 | 14 |
| Chaparral Suites | 1978 | $1.6M | 11 | - |
| Jupiter Beach Resort | - | $2.9M | 100 | 22 |
Island House Hotel history FAQs
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Island House Hotel may also be known as or be related to Hotel Island House and Island House Hotel.