OKC’s Cooper House will partner with Ortus Investments to renovate the Skirvin.
The Skirvin Hilton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City will undergo a restoration, including a new refreshed brand as well as refurbishments to the hotel’s interiors and social spaces.
Local hospitality-focused agency Cooper House will spearhead the rebrand. Ortus Investments, an Oklahoma-based hospitality investment company led by Mark Beffort, Andy Burnett and Matthew Benjamin, acquired a number of hotel properties since the pandemic. Joining a portfolio of hotels in Chicago and New York, Oklahoma’s most historic hotel will be a crowning jewel for locals and tourists alike.
“The Skirvin’s history is central to our city’s larger story, and our goal is to preserve as much of that history as possible,” Beffort said. “We feel confident that Cooper House will help us achieve that.”
Since 1911, the Skirvin Hotel has been the mainstay for high-profile travelers, including Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and a host of NBA players. These days, the hotel is known more for its ghost stories than its gathering spaces and modern amenities.
Cooper House and Ortus Investments, alongside newly appointed Skirvin General Manager Chase Rollins, are setting out to change that.
“As an Oklahoma City native, managing a hotel as prominent as the Skirvin is a dream come true,” Rollins said. “Our entire city is rooting for the Skirvin to succeed, and I am committed to elevating the iconic and historic Skirvin Hilton’s reputation as a leader in luxury accommodations in the Oklahoma City area.”
The $15 million project will include a complete renovation of the hotel’s guest rooms, interiors and guest experiences, alongside a strategic rebrand that will work to position the Skirvin Hotel as a premier destination for business and leisure travelers and a hot spot for Oklahoma City locals.
“The Skirvin is, without a doubt, our city’s most historically significant hotel,” said Tim Cooper, CEO of Cooper House. “We’ve had the opportunity to brand hotels across the country in recent years, but it is an immense privilege to leverage our expertise for a hotel as prominent as the Skirvin — and in our hometown, no less.”
Renovations to the Skirvin are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023.
