2015 Year in Review No. 10: Boutique hotel opens in Vandivort

SPRINGFIELD, JULY 13—The much anticipated $13 million Hotel Vandivort opened for business in downtown Springfield July 13, following a soft launch for invited guests.

Owners and developers of the Queen City’s first boutique hotel property through MBH LLC, Billy and John McQueary, aim to fill a market niche.

In September 2012, the brothers – of the McQueary Drug Co. family – closed on the purchase of the five-story Vandivort office building that had been listed by downtown property owner Scott Tillman for $1.5 million.

A year later, construction was underway by general contractor Larry Snyder & Co.

The McQuearys utilized a City Council-approved, 25-year tax abatement on property improvements.

Once a masonic temple, the 109-year-old building is home to 50 rooms, 14 suites and three meeting spaces.

Design includes atrium suites on the basement level to a 1,500-square-foot master suite on the top floor, featuring an entertaining space with a kitchen, an indoor/outdoor fireplace and a 350-square-foot covered balcony. Guest rooms, range between $169 and $409 per night, depending on demand.

To reinforce the boutique model – typically smaller, stylish hotels in urban settings – the brothers placed a lot of attention on the hotel’s restaurant, The Order, a name that plays on its masonic history. “The Order brings the ambiance of SoHo to SoMo,” the hotel’s marketing boasts.

Springfield-based Food IQ – a division of advertising firm Marlin Network Inc. – developed the menu, which features “modern Missouri” fare. Ingredients are pulled from local sources and the restaurant seats 70, with additional room in the lobby for those grabbing tapas or quick bites.

The local theme also plays out in the hotel’s decor. Lighting in The Order comes from downtown’s Springfield Hot Glass and elements, such as the iron chevron designed staircase leading to the basement, were designed by Springfield-based Artisan Fabrication LLC.

In November, the 44,000-square-foot hotel managed by IDM Hospitality Management, achieved the AAA’s prestigious Four Diamond rating, the first hotel in Springfield with to be awarded the distinction.