Olympia Hospitality has opened Hotel Ursa, a new hotel on the campus of the University of Maine (UMaine) in Orono.
The 95-room hotel, inspired by the Ursa Major and Minor constellations and the North Star that connects them, was developed through a historic rehabilitation of two original buildings on campus, Coburn Hall and Holmes Hall. These buildings were erected in 1887-88 and were designed in the Romanesque Revival style by architect Frank E. Kidder, who graduated from Maine State College, the precursor of UMaine, in 1879. They have been transformed to offer modern rooms and suites that have retained their unique character and vintage charm. They have been joined by a third building, Polaris Hall, a new building that offers contemporary guestrooms. The hotel also offers MajorMinor, a cafe and bar.
The hotel was developed by Radnor Property Group, a real estate development company with a history of higher education public-private partnership (P3) projects in the northeast, and Harrison Street, an investment management firm exclusively focused on alternative real assets.
“We are proud to be a partner in this project for the adaptive-reuse of these historic buildings in the heart of the UMaine campus,” said Nick Allen, director, public-private partnerships, Radnor Property Group. “It has been quite a journey, and we are elated to mark this milestone and hand the keys to Olympia.”
Sarah Masterson, president, Olympia Hospitality, added, “As a Maine-based company, our entire team shares in the excitement and pride felt among all of the partners behind this extraordinary opening.”
Archetype Architects designed the project and Wright-Ryan Construction was the general contractor. Olympia Hospitality operates the hotel.
