TRAVERSE CITY - An East Grand Traverse Bay landmark will be demolished early next year to make way for luxury condominiums.
The 28-year-old Waterfront Inn Resort Hotel and Reflections Restaurant needed a major overhaul because of the building's age, owner Ralph Bergsma said. That prompted Bergsma to sell the property to a developer.

An artist's drawing of the time-share condos to be known as the Tamarack Lodge. "I'm not getting any younger, so it's an opportunity for me to retire," Bergsma said. "The age of the building determined that something needed to be done with it."
The hotel and restaurant will close Dec. 20. The Waterfront Inn Conference Center, which was included in the sale, will remain open for at least three years, Bergsma said.
Demolition will make way for four five-story buildings that will house 75 two- and three-bedroom condominiums.
Developer R.C. Hermann of Traverse City, head of Traverse Realty & Development LLC, purchased the resort for an undisclosed price.
Bergsma, who runs the resort with his son Kirk, said he has owned the Waterfront since 1983, but has been involved with the property since he designed the building for its first owner in the 1970s. When the original owner died, he bought the resort with an investment group.
Leslie Couturier, deputy zoning administrator for East Bay Township, said the site plan was approved this week without controversy and the new buildings will feature an attractive mix of stone and wood.
The 127-room hotel will be demolished in early 2005 and replaced with timeshare condos to be known as the Tamarack Lodge. Each will be sold in one-eighth shares, giving the owner use of the condo for six weeks out of the year, Bergsma said.
Unused time will go into a rental pool and will be used as a resort hotel.
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2005, with the first condo to be completed in early 2006.

MACDONALD Hotels has announced a £13m investment in its health and fitness centres.

The move will see new or refurbished leisure centres and beauty salons at 26 of the Edinburgh-based group’s 60-strong portfolio.

The group said the investment in its health and beauty facilities, which are branded as Vital, was part of its strategy to "define itself a leading four-star hotel brand".

The hotels included in the upgrade programme include The Marine, in North Berwick, where a new swimming pool, gymnasium and beauty suite are due to open in August 2005.

This investment will see the number of Macdonald Hotels with leisure facilities increase by 30%.

The £13m spend is part of a development and refurbishment programme across the group worth more than £150m over the next two years.

"Our health, fitness and beauty clubs are an integral part of Macdonald Hotels and Resorts and an essential part of our brand offering to both business and leisure clients," said Chris Hairs, regional leisure manager at Macdonald Hotels Scotland.

Macdonald went private last year after being listed on the stock market since the mid-1990s. Five founding directors made an offer to buy back the listed company after years of frustration over its poor share price performance which they believed undervalued the business. The management buy-out was funded by Bank of Scotland.

The group operates hotels and resorts throughout the UK and Spain and has an annual turnover in excess of £240m.

Investments in its portfolio since then have included a £30m re-development programme of accommodation as part of the Aviemore Highland Resort.

The resort, a joint venture between Macdonald, Bank of Scotland and Tulloch, is also creating a visitor and crafts shopping area, supermarket and new houses.

The expansion of Macdonald Hotels’ existing Dalfaber timeshare operation with a new luxury hotel and training centre, as well as a 18-hole championship golf course, are due for completion by next spring.