Iowa City company buys New Orleans hotel

Hawkeye Hotels, a privately owned Iowa City company, has purchased a 10-story independent boutique hotel in New Orleans.

Hotel Modern will be completely renovated. The 135-room property, which features a different design in each guest room, was converted from a YMCA in 2001.

After the renovations are completed, the 10-story property will reopen as an InterContinental branded hotel. Intercontinental brands include Candlewood Suites, Crowne Plaza, Even, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, Hualuxe, InterContinental and Staybridge Suites.

'We're community developers, and we have plans for a robust upgrade of this property that will fit into the existing culture and community of the area,” said Ravi Patel, president and principal of Hawkeye Hotels, in a news release. 'We hope our investment will not only transform the iconic property, but also make a statement that our company intends to be an active player in an already thriving and vibrant community.”

Hotel Modern is less than a mile from the French Quarter on St. Charles Avenue. Chris Drazba, vice president of franchise relations for United Kingdom-based InterContinental Hotel Group, said in a news release that his company is looking forward to partnering with Hawkeye Hotels on the project.

'We are eager to bring the New Orleans area another high-quality brand that will fit in with the community,” Drazba said.

Hawkeye Hotels, founded in 1982 with a roadside hotel in Mena, Ark., owns, operates, and invests in more than 70 hotels across the country. The company employs more than 1,000 people in its hotels and corporate offices.

Hawkeye Hotels expects to open its new Residence Inn by Marriott at 730 33rd Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids within the next week. The company will begin construction next month of a four-story Fairfield Inn & Suites, at the intersection of Coral Ridge Avenue and James Street in Coralville, just south of Highway 6.