"That monetary figure is erroneous," says Wendy Reisman, corporate director of food and beverage public relations for the hotel chain. "I can't say whether it's more or less. We're still in the planning stages."

New renovation plans currently call for room renovations, a potential new restaurant and a jazz room, among other possible changes, Reisman tells GlobeSt.com.

Currently, the hotel has 308 rooms on 11 floors, she says.

Gerard van Grinsven, general manager of the Dearborn hotel, announced the renovation plans at a press conference with the Detroit Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau and area leaders to announce a business and tourism initiative that's designed to enhance the area's visibility.

Grinsven says the economy and mindset of travelers have changed; it's not the same days of carefree travel of the 1990s, he notes.

Local hospitality experts have reported a 10% to 30% drop in hotel room uses. It's the same all over, Grinsven says, but the economy will come back with perseverance from the local owners and developers that have faith in the local market.

"Since the catastrophic events of Sept. 11, the surrounding business community has been economically trending down, but recovery is taking place," he says. "Our hotel, as with any other business, needs to recreate itself in order to move with the market, to expand its business base, to regenerate interest in the community and compete in an expanding hospitality market."

Grinsven says the new hotel renovation launch will begin in October, and will coincide with local service training assistance that hotel staff will offer to local businesses.

The hotel includes a gourmet restaurant, a private dining room, approximately 21,000 sf of meeting space including a 12,000-sf ballroom, a fitness center and an indoor pool.