NEW BERN, N.C. – The Kessler Collection has purchased the Elks Building in New Bern, N.C. for $2.25 million with plans to develop the property into a 50-room boutique hotel.
Set to break ground in early 2023, the boutique hotel will feature 50 guest rooms, 1,500 square feet of meeting and event space, a speakeasy on the lower level, and a specialty coffee shop and restaurant on the street level.
Located in the city’s downtown, the Elks Building remains a landmark in the city, as well as New Bern’s tallest and most prominent commercial buildings. The 1908 Beaux-Arts building constructed by the Elks fraternity has sat vacant and untouched for over a decade.
“The Kessler Collection is excited to watch this new vision come to life and bring the brand’s touch to the beautiful historic city of New Bern,” said Richard C. Kessler, chairman and CEO of The Kessler Collection. “By restoring this iconic landmark in the hub of downtown and adding another key historic preservation project within the collection, the dynamic growth furthers the luxury hotel collection’s position as a discernable leader in the boutique lodging industry.”
Kessler will work with the development, design, and construction partners for the next year to finalize plans with an estimated completion date of mid-2024. Additionally, the company will work with the New Bern Historic Preservation Commission, State Historic Preservation Office, and the National Park Service for the historic preservation of the building.
The property will be the brand’s third hotel in North Carolina alongside Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville and Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte.
