By Gari Voss
The hotel in Fennville, MI that has stood next to the railroad tracks for almost a century is in the midst of having a facelift. The DuPree family from Holland, MI purchased the grand structure four years ago, did extensive planning, and have begun renovations. It is anticipated that what was formally known as the Steven’s Hotel, Bar & Grill will open in the summer of 2026 as the Wine Trail Inn.
During the official groundbreaking on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, Hopwood DuPree shared that many in attendance were stakeholders in the project. He stressed that the stakeholders have been dedicated to getting the project from the drawing board to reality.
“The hotel has been an iconic part of Fennville for so many decades,” explained Hopwood. “I remember coming here with my family when I was a little kid, and it was a special place. The main thing I remember about coming was the community and how welcoming everybody was. Everyone came together as friends, and you felt that you were really a part of something. That is exactly what we want to bring back to the project. It is already kicking off in that way with the city, Rockford [Construction], and the MEDC [Michigan Economic Development Corporation] working together, and the locals who come when they see us working here.”
The community has embraced the DuPree family and are looking forward to again being able to sit down to a quiet dinner or spend time with friends having drinks.
“The original hotel had 22 rooms and two bathrooms. We are looking to keep the historic elements while bringing it up to speed with modern amenities,” explained Hopwood. “So, we are combining the 22 rooms down to 11, and each will have a private bathroom. We will be adding a 3,000 sq. ft. addition on the back to house an elevator, emergency stairs, bathrooms and housekeeping. The modern section will be what powers the historic section of the hotel. This was a challenge for the project.”
With the addition, the hotel will be about 15,000 sq. ft. which is about 4,000 sq. ft. per floor. “What a lot of people don’t know,” continued Hopwood. “is that in the lower level, there was an historic bowling alley. We were amazed to find that, but a lot of locals shared that they remember rolling balls down the alleys there. We could not save the bowling alley because it was built on dirt and the boards have rotted, but we are trying to save the historic elements and bring them back in a repurposed way.”
Katie Beemer, Fennville’s administrator, welcomed the endeavors of the DuPree family. “Working with the DuPree family over the last three years has been such a joy in renovating this historic hotel. Over the last three years, there have been many stories about the hotel, and what it has meant to our community.”
Rockford Construction representatives shared the honor of being involved with the hotel renovation. Doing adaptive reuse projects such as this, that turns a building into something special while holding the history, is definitely rewarding. The passion and excitement that went on in the building is special, and it truly is a time to reflect on, “If only these walls could talk…”
Real estate development is not an easy project to envision. The $4.5 million project hopes to bring the shine back to the historic structure, but as upgrades are made, the historic value does not want to be lost. The million-dollar grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) truly assisted in bringing the project to fruition. In addition, the $7,500 awarded by the City of Fennville Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will assist with façade improvements.
The plans include a basement Speak Easy, a main floor restaurant and bar, and 11 boutique rooms upstairs. The goal is to combine modern comfort with the hotel’s history. Overall, the “new” hotel is destined to bring more tourists and visitors to town while offering a gathering place for residents who want to celebrate a special occasion or just stop in for a beer after work.
The DDA looks forward to the hotel creating jobs while bringing money into the downtown area as people stay and stroll the sidewalks to check out the local businesses. Micah Machiela, a DDA coordinator shared, “Just on the community and spirit side of things as well, we think that this reinvestment will give some reinvigoration of the downtown on the other side of the railroad tracks and will be great for downtown in general. All our residents are excited about it.”
DuPree explained that the selection of the name Wine Trail Inn was derived from the fact that Fennville was the first of Michigan’s five American Viticultural Areas (AVA) and the third in the nation. These are federally designated areas where the wines produced exhibit similar characteristics that are distinct from other regions. Qualities like soil type and climate can affect the wines. Being in the midst of the wonderful wineries, the DuPrees wanted to highlight that aspect of the hotel’s history.
