For 35 years, the address of comfort and distinction in downtown St. Joseph has been 521 Lake Boulevard—The Boulevard Inn and Bistro. This Spring, Owner Mark Whitwam is renewing the Boulevard’s commitment to excellence, investing almost $3.5 Million dollars to ‘refresh’ and revitalize the Boulevard’s guestrooms and many of its public spaces. The work began recently and is targeted for completion by May 1st, in time for the beginning of the 2024 tourist season and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
Before you even set foot inside the Boulevard Inn, you are enveloped in its most prominent feature: its location! Overlooking Lake Michigan, Silver Beach, and the iconic Lighthouse. Across the street from beautiful Lake Bluff Park. And within a block or two of all of downtown St. Joseph’s unique shops and attractions. Why would you consider placing your guests, business associates—or yourself—anywhere else than at St. Joseph’s premier address, the Boulevard Inn?
Mark Whitwam sat down with us and proudly outlined his plan for updating the ambiance and feel of the Boulevard to appeal to his ever-changing clientele. “It was time,” he acknowledged, explaining that new generations of business travelers and families have joined the Boulevard’s customer base. Whitwam has owned the hotel for 28 years.
In the hotel industry, they call it a ‘refresh’, and there are firms that specialize in just that. So, Whitwam engaged one of the foremost experts, Kris Custer of New Look Renovations, to take a top to bottom look at the Boulevard and the possibilities at hand for a fresh, new feel for the guest rooms and associated public facing spaces.
Custer was delighted at the opportunity. So often in his work his challenge is to update a national brand or ‘chain’ hotel. So, there is a ‘look’, a corporate identity in which he must operate. With the Boulevard Inn, as an independent non-chain property, Custer could begin with a fresh palate, a clean slate centering on the hotel’s key differentiating factor—it’s location overlooking Lake Michigan. There, he found his inspiration for the brighter colors and subtle suggestions of the Lake in the new room décor.
Custer told us, “This project has been a unique and fun one, as this is an independent hotel so the design team was able to be creative and think beyond typical franchise requirements that other hotel projects have. I think we’ve been able to create a unique design that speaks to the location of the hotel and the experience that guests want when they visit St. Joseph.”
Project Manager Custer explained that the Boulevard project will include all guest rooms and all public facing spaces on floors two through seven: all carpet and wall coverings, most upholstery and a smoothing of the ceilings to give a more contemporary look. Custer had special praise for the architectural and design firm he enlisted for the project, GBA Architects of Madison, Wisconsin, led by Architect Josh Wilcox and Interior Designer Sara Mrkvica.
Custer continued, “Since the hotel had already done some renovations recently to the Bistro, and part of the lobby to include the library we focused most of our attention in the guestroom floors as well as the front desk, incorporating a new Market for retail sales and guest convenience items. We also included some bigger ticket building facilities items that guests don’t necessarily see but ultimately impact their experience such as replacing windows with broken seals, replacing the roof which had some leaks, upgrading the hotel Wi-Fi, replacing old boilers for heat in the winter, and upgrading the old magnetic key lock system to a more reliable and modern RFID lock system.”
Owner Whitwam predicts guests will be especially pleased with the new ‘Market’ in the lobby. “It will be stocked with a variety of convenient 24/7 food and beverage items, personal needs and seasonal merchandise that might assist guests to enjoy nearby Silver Beach or other attractions.”
Whitwam points out that the Boulevard is unusual among hotels in that it is an ‘All Suite’ property. Every room is actually two rooms: a sitting area and a bedroom. Cityview suites overlook downtown St. Joseph. Parkview suites overlook Lake Bluff Park and Lake Michigan.
Most people probably don’t know that on the top floor, the seventh floor, there are two huge suites—more than 1,200 square feet each. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, large sitting area, and a full kitchen in each. Whitwam explained they were originally built for Whirlpool and long-term leased to the company ‘back in the day.’ Now, they are available to the public and have been popular in recent years with guests looking for very special accommodations on Lake Michigan in St. Joseph.
Boulevard General Manager Rita Downey is working closely with the construction managers to assure that existing hotel guests are not inconvenienced or disrupted during the renovation. Custer has assured her that they’ll focus on one floor at a time as much as possible. She said there may be some minor parking issues, but they should be manageable since it’s not the tourist season.
In the meantime, it’s business as usual at the Bistro, the Boulevard’s popular ‘upscale casual’ dining venue. Executive Chef Cheryl Bernacchi creates a vibrant, ever-evolving menu featuring traditional favorites and seasonal specialties. The Bistro is open for dinner beginning at 4pm Tuesday thru Saturday, breakfast at 7am Monday thru Friday and brunch 7am Saturday and Sunday.
Whitwam is pleased to be able to donate a large quantity of outgoing furniture and accessories in very good condition to the Harbor Country Mission. Soft seating (sofa sleepers, ottomans, accent chairs, dining chairs, and desk chairs}, as well as well as table and floor lamps, draperies and artwork. Harbor Country Mission is located at 9600 Red Arrow Highway, Bridgman.
As the work continues, Whitwam, Downey, and the Boulevard team say they are eager to show off the ‘new look’ as they begin writing the Boulevard’s next chapter later this Spring.
