LAS VEGAS During a seminar held at the Hospitality Design (HD) 2001 event, held here March 28 – 31, Kevin Mahoney, Amstar Group, Ltd. noted that Amstar is redeveloping and repositioning the Nordic Hills Resort in Itasca, IL.
Located 10 miles west of Chicago s O Hare Airport, the underperforming resort was purchased by Amstar in April 2000. Mahoney said that, “The past year has been spent focused on design and obtaining entitlements. We ve received our entitlements. We re on target. It was closed in January. Abatement is going on, and the wrecking ball is due [this month]. All but the twin towers will be demolished.”
“It will reopen as the Chicago Doral Resort & Conference Center in about 18 months from now,” said Mahoney. The property will go from 228 rooms to 295 rooms, and will be redesigned by Newmark Diercks Design. According to the project s designer, Carl Newmark, its new look will feature a Frank Lloyd Wright “prairie style, with a twist.” (3/30/01) Barbara Capella Loehr