In 1906, the Manistee County Savings Bank opened its doors on River Street. The building, clad in Bedford limestone, served the lumber barons and salt merchants who shaped this Lake Michigan community during its early days as a trade port. More than a century later, Reed Walker Design Collective is on the team transforming it into a 19-key boutique hotel that brings that story forward.

Manistee is a community on the rise. Award-winning beaches, world-class outdoor recreation, and a revitalizing downtown have drawn increasing attention to this Lakeshore community. Yet, it had no modern boutique lodging to match. The building itself sat underutilized at the center of one of the most recognizable historic streetscapes in the region. The opportunity was clear: activate it with thoughtfully designed lodging and a street-level food and beverage concept that serves both guests and neighbors.

RWDC delivered full-service hospitality interior design and historic preservation services across approximately 22,000 square feet, spanning a lobby, restaurant and bar, 19 guest rooms and suites, a third-floor ballroom, and supporting amenity spaces. Room types range from intimate king rooms to multi-bedroom bunk suites that sleep up to ten, designed to serve couples, groups, and families seeking a design-forward base for exploring the region.

The design is rooted in three goals: celebrate place, balance design and investment, and contribute to downtown activation. Every material selection, furniture choice, and spatial decision connects back to the culture, landscapes, and heritage of Manistee. Salt-white marble, emerald tile, aged brass, and white oak reference the industries and natural environments that define the region. Historic artifacts salvaged from the building itself are woven throughout the guest experience as a living record of the building's first life.

The building's status as a contributing resource in both the National Register of Historic Places and the local historic district required careful navigation of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. RWDC integrated historic preservation planning directly into the design process, supporting the clients' access to historic tax credits, an essential component of the project's financial strategy and a discipline that sets the Collective apart from traditional interior design firms.

The result is a hotel that earns its place in Manistee's story: a destination that honors what came before, serves the community it calls home, and offers every guest a stay that is modern, memorable, and unmistakably of this place.