BPG to buy Hotel du Pont for undisclosed sum

WILMINGTON – The Buccini/Pollin Group and DuPont today announced an agreement to acquire the historic Hotel du Pont.

The ownership transition and closing are expected to occur on Feb. 28. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The hotel will remain Dupont Co.’s preferred hotel for out-of-town business guests and colleagues visiting Wilmington through 2018, according to a letter Senior Vice President Rick Olson sent to employees.

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The 217-room Hotel du Pont opened in the heart of downtown Wilmington in 1913 to serve the local business community. Guests at the hotel or its meeting rooms included Bill Clinton, Jonas Salk, Eleanor Roosevelt, Queen Noor, Kevin Spacey, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Betty Ford, Ken Burns, Prince Rainier of Monaco, John Glenn, Joe DiMaggio, Samuel Beckett, Bob Hope, Warren Buffet, Gen. Colin Powell, Elizabeth Taylor, James Earl Jones, Saul Bellow, Bob Dole, Ingrid Bergman, Sidney Poitier, James Michener, Laurence Olivier, Robert Penn Warren, Alan Alda, Charles Lindbergh, Lucille Ball, George Will, Jon Bon Jovi, Martin Sheen, August Wilson, Bob Hope, Norman Rockwell, William Styron and Seamus Heaney, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Amelia Earhart, and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

The hotel will continue to operate under the Hotel du Pont name, with all of its amenities, including the Green Room restaurant and the Gold Ballroom.

Buccini/Pollin Group’s (BPG) hotel management affiliate, PM Hotel Group, will operate the hotel.

BPG recently announced the acquisition of the DuPont Building that houses the hotel. Its affiliate, The PM Hotel Group, manages hotels for the Hilton, Starwood, Marriott and Choice brands.

BPG will unveil a comprehensive restoration plan for the hotel in the near future, and will begin several targeted capital improvement projects upon closing of the acquisition.

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“We are extremely proud that DuPont has entrusted The Buccini/Pollin Group and PM Hotel Group as stewards of this great hotel,” said David B. Pollin of BPG. “We see ownership of the Hotel du Pont as a public trust, and will work with the Wilmington community to ensure its next 103 years are as – or more – successful as its first 103 years. We expect the transition in ownership and management will be seamless for the hotel’s guests,” he said.

“For over 100 years, DuPont has been proud to offer luxury accommodations and first-rate service to its guests,” said Richard C. Olson, senior vice president, DuPont Corporate Services. “We are very pleased to have found the right owner to ensure a bright future for this historic, world-class hotel and downtown Wilmington landmark. Under the ownership and expert management of BPG and PM Hotel Group, the Hotel du Pont will provide an enhanced luxury experience for the Delaware community and hotel guests from around the world.”

The Green Room, the hotel’s signature restaurant, has been recognized with the AAA Four-Diamond Award and the Forbes Four-Star Award.

Separately, DuPont will explore a potential sale of the DuPont Country Club. Olson said the company expects the DuPont name will remain with the club and it is focused on assuring currently employees will be retained.

– Digital Partners -