Artisan Hotel possible in city

A Las Vegas hotelier is planning an art-themed hotel in Spokane, according to published reports from two other cities.

Douglas DaSilva, who owns the Artisan Hotel and Spa in Las Vegas, declined to comment, saying a contract prevented him from discussing his plans for Spokane until next month. However, articles in the Las Vegas Sun and the Business Journal of Phoenix say DaSilva and his wife, Ninette, are planning an Artisan Hotel in Spokane.

The other hotels the DaSilvas have opened in Las Vegas and Memphis, Tenn., and the ones they are planning in El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, resulted from the purchase and renovation of other hotel properties, the articles say. The Las Vegas hotel was a former Travelodge, the El Paso location was a Holiday Inn, and the Phoenix location was a Sunshine Hotel and Suites.

Among the Spokane hotels for sale or with sales pending are the Ridpath Hotel on Sprague Avenue and the Howard Johnson Hotel on Division Street. Red Lion Hotels, which owns the Ridpath, said in a recent earnings report that the sale of the historic Ridpath would close by the end of September. However, Red Lion’s investor relations manager, Julie Langenheim, declined to name the buyer.

The Las Vegas Artisan Hotel Web site describes a small, luxurious boutique hotel with an “elegant atmosphere” and “exquisite fine art” adorning the lobby, hallways, ceilings and 64 rooms. The décor includes framed prints by great artists such as Rembrandt, Renoir, Van Gogh and DaVinci, the news reports say. The hotel also has a full-service spa.

The DaSilvas purchased the El Paso property for $1.6 million, the Memphis property for $2.9 million and the Phoenix property for $5.2 million, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.

In January, a group of investors purchased the Ridpath’s Executive Court section, on First Avenue. They are converting it to a 56-unit condominium complex with ground-floor retail shops to be called City Place.