The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

The Crowne Plaza made news recently due to it being behind on many debts and going into foreclosure. I've heard now that a lot of this was becoming light as part of the proceedings for a transfer of ownership and that the hotel is getting new owners. This change caused them to lose their starbucks, but a new coffee shop will be opening shortly as it was just a franchise and the employees and space already belong to CP.

Apparently the Crowne Plaza has stayed popular with visiting entertainers and when Norah Jones (Ravi Shankar's daughter) came to perform, she stayed a whole week hanging out in the pool.
(http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Norah-Jones.jpg)

Best of luck to Marlin & co.
 

A lot of the bands that come through BOK stay here.  I know that there have  been some management issues in the past.  Personally I think the hotel needs a good update, it looks like she's been wearing the same dress way past its expiration date. Not only is it worn out, but it's out of style.  Hope the new owners do something good with her.

This thread was an excuse to post a picture of Norah Jones... which was an awesome concert..

Isn't the Starbucks closure part of the larger closing of 600+ locations?

I'm rooting for a Kaffe Bona to take it's spot.

Update was completed a little over a year ago...

I wouldn't call that an update, more like they sent the old dress out to the drycleaners (just to continue using the same metaphor). 

They replaced all the furniture, painted everything, built a new restaurant and amenities. What do you want them to do, turn the hotel 90 degrees?

How long have you been on this forum? You're "convenient excuse" detector broken?

The 600 locations closing was announced in 2008. I heard this location was told to close on May 14th, 2010.

I heard that, too.

I believe the hotel has a new operator as well.

I think my biggest problems with it is the outter facade (though doing something about that would require a full remodel), the tiles in the fountain, and the really ugly carpet that they chose for the common area's.  A lot of the hard area's (lack of better words to describe the hard to update area's) need to be taken care of to really make this place shine.  I guess I would like to see a bit more of an upclass look for them.  Maybe not as elegant as the Mayo or Ambassodor (though that would be excellent) but at least as clean looking as the double tree.  

Also, I don't know who maintains the steps leading up to Centenial Park, but they were falling apart last time I was looking at them (last summer I think), and it's the little things like this that tend to bring the over all apperance of a place down.

They painted everything on the outer facade that wasn't real stone. The fountain may look a bit dated, true but the areas outside you are talking about are part of the Williams Green and have nothing to do with Crowne Plaza.

Why, they even provided complimentary paint jobs for a bunch of restored and original paint Pontiacs.

http://www.highperformancepontiac.com/events/hppp_0803_2007_poci_convention_tulsa_oklahoma/index.html

I'm not referring to the color of the facade, but the build of it, of the exterior of the building in all, truth be told.  I never cared much for the architectures that came out of the 70's, and this is one of em.  But, as I said, this would take a major remodel of the exterior to overcome.  If I remember correctly (and yes, this is really nit picking but it came to mind) the bricking out front, through the drive area, needs some maintanance.  I'm not completely sure on that, but I think I remembere a large number of cracked and broken bricks out there, but like I said, just something to nit pick about.  I had figured the steps were not a responsibility of the hotel, but with it's close proximity, they seem to be linked to it.  I see a lot of potential in this hotel that has not been met, and hope that the new owners can take it closer to it. 

An affiliate of the Kaiser Family Foundation has purchased Crowne Plaza at the sheriff's sale for $11mm.

"The foreclosed Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown has been repurchased by the most recent holder of its property mortgage, which is related to an investment project of the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

Sorin Real Estate bought the 462-room hotel for $11 million at a recent Tulsa County sheriff's auction. Ken Levit, the executive director of the Kaiser foundation, said Sorin has ties to Kaiser's investments.

Sorin Master Fund had control of a $20.3 million mortgage on the property and initiated the foreclosure filing in January against the previous owner, Ascension Hotels of Donaldsonville, La., but transferred its interest in the property to Tulsa Hotel Partners LLC shortly afterward.

Levit said the purchase was part of a set of investments.

"It does not represent a civic initiative of the foundation, but it's a nice coincidence that we've purchased a hotel in our community," he said.

The hotel, which stayed open throughout the foreclosure process, will continue to do business, Levit said.

Sorin made the only bid for the property. Tulsa County land records show it was appraised at $15.8 million."

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=32&articleid=20100826_32_E1_CUTLIN942165&archive=yes

Almost full circle in 34 years.

Was in the Crown Plaza -> Hyatt yesterday.     
Thought I'd mention that the empty Starbucks spot is now occupied by Topeka.
Score for the local guy.

A positive result.