Adjoining hotels, Italian steakhouse near completion at $260M Red Cedar development

Rachel Greco, Lansing State Journal
Updated ·3 min read
Located in this block-long building is the Hyatt House Hotel, AC Hotel Lansing and Toscana, an Italian steakhouse which are all connected Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
Located in this block-long building is the Hyatt House Hotel, AC Hotel Lansing and Toscana, an Italian steakhouse which are all connected Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.

LANSING — Two adjoining hotels and a 5,000-square-foot restaurant situated along East Michigan Avenue within the $260 million Red Cedar development will be finished by Aug. 31.

The 156-room AC by Mariott, the adjacent 139-room Hyatt House and Italian steakhouse Toscana were among the last unfinished additions to the project, which has been under construction since 2019 south of Michigan Avenue along the Red Cedar River.

The two hotels, which include shared amenities, join businesses that have already opened on the approximately 35-acre site. They include the Red Cedar Lodge, a 127-room senior living facility; 181 high-end apartments named Gateway Lofts; the 792-bed student apartment complex University Edge; coffee and literature store Hooked Bookshop; tea and pastry shop Feng Cha; restaurant and bar Old Bag of Nails; smoothie chain store Tropical Smoothie; and Orthopaedic Rehab Specialists Physical Therapy.

Hyatt House opened on Aug. 17. AC by Mariott opened on Thursday and Toscana is expected to open on Aug. 31, said Corri Harvey, director of sales and marketing for both hotels.

Each hotel caters to different needs

This is the bedroom and lounging area in the studio hotel room at the new Hyatt House in Lansing in the Red Cedar Development across from Frandor Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
This is the bedroom and lounging area in the studio hotel room at the new Hyatt House in Lansing in the Red Cedar Development across from Frandor Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.

Both hotels, developed by Continental Real Estate Companies and managed by Concord Hospitality Enterprises, are located at 3150 E Michigan Ave. but each facility caters to different needs.

"The Hyatt House is really geared towards that extended stay guest," Harvey said. The hotel caters to people staying there "a week or more," she said. Pets are allowed to stay with guests and most of the rooms feature kitchens complete with dishes and glasses, refrigerators and induction burners for cooking.

"There's outdoor space, including a grill, and a complimentary morning spread for every guest every day," Harvey said.

The lobby of the AC Hotel in Lansing is designed to have a more European look than the adjoining Hyatt House Hotel Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
The lobby of the AC Hotel in Lansing is designed to have a more European look than the adjoining Hyatt House Hotel Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.

AC by Mariott caters to "upper business class" guests, she said, and its rooms are designed for people who travel often.

"It's just easy, in and out business traveler, simple," Harvey said.

The hotels share amenities

The fitness room is a shared space between the Hyatt House and AC Hotel Lansing at the Red Cedar Development across from Frandor Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
The fitness room is a shared space between the Hyatt House and AC Hotel Lansing at the Red Cedar Development across from Frandor Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.

Guests can enter either from inside the other and Hyatt House and AC by Mariott also share some amenities, including 5,000 square feet of shared meeting space, an indoor swimming pool and a fitness center.

"We have, obviously, a unique, individual front desk for each but even with Toscana, it all flows," said Tim Ellis, complex general manager. "The guest has a lot more amenities or access to those amenities. This is really a walkable property."

Toscana to offer 'upscale, approachable' experience

Artwork graces the walls of Toscana, an Italian steakhouse in the Red Cedar Development across from Frandor Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. The restaurant will open Aug. 31.
Artwork graces the walls of Toscana, an Italian steakhouse in the Red Cedar Development across from Frandor Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. The restaurant will open Aug. 31.

Toscana, which its General Manager Eric Weber has described as "an Italian steakhouse," is connected to the hotel complex but will have its own exterior entrance and valet parking.

Harvey said the restaurant will be "upscale," but also approachable.

"There's not really anything like it in the Lansing area," she said. "You can come get a tomahawk table-size steak but there's also a self-serve wine oasis at the back of the building and a charcuterie experience where you can stop in for a glass of wine with your girlfriends and still have a great experience, so it's accessible."

Bottles of wine are being stocked on shelves at Toscana an Italian steakhouse in the Red Cedar Development Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. The restaurant will open on Aug. 31.
Bottles of wine are being stocked on shelves at Toscana an Italian steakhouse in the Red Cedar Development Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. The restaurant will open on Aug. 31.

Patio seating for up to 100 people wraps around the outside of the restaurant, which is expected to seat 250 people.

A menu Weber shared lists several starters including mussels, meatballs and gnocchi, as well as main entrees including a Berkshire pork chop, ahi tuna fillet and rack of lamb.

The dry-aged tomahawk steak is priced at $125, but the menu includes pasta dishes priced between $18 to $52 and main dishes priced between $29 and $39.

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Hotels and restaurant are still hiring

Workers move through the lobby of the new AC Lansing Hotel in the Red Cedar Development Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. The hotel is connected to the new Hyatt House and they share amenities like the fitness room and pool.
Workers move through the lobby of the new AC Lansing Hotel in the Red Cedar Development Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. The hotel is connected to the new Hyatt House and they share amenities like the fitness room and pool.

Currently, Hyatt House, AC by Mariott and Toscana are employing a combined 120 people, Harvey said, but that number is expected to go up.

"Once we get going and see the flow of business and we get busier, we expect that number to be closer to 200, right around 180, hopefully," she said. "We still are hiring for positions as they become available."

The lobby of the recently opened Hyatt House hotel in the Red Cedar Development in Lansing across from Frandor on Michigan Avenue Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
The lobby of the recently opened Hyatt House hotel in the Red Cedar Development in Lansing across from Frandor on Michigan Avenue Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.

Weber said Toscana has hired 40 people but still needs another 20.

"Mostly front of the house right now, so servers, bartenders, food runners, bussers, hosts," he said.

Those interested can apply for positions online at https://careers.concordhotels.com/jobs/search/where/lansing .

Contact Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @GrecoatLSJ .

Toscana, an Italian steak house, is connected to the AC Hotel Lansing and the Hyatt House Hotel in the Red Cedar Development across from Frandor on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. The restaurant will be open Aug. 31.
Toscana, an Italian steak house, is connected to the AC Hotel Lansing and the Hyatt House Hotel in the Red Cedar Development across from Frandor on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. The restaurant will be open Aug. 31.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Hotels, Italian steakhouse at Red Cedar development in Lansing to open