OKLAHOMA CITY, APRIL 17, 2023 – The Skirvin Hilton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City is once again undergoing a restoration—and this time, the hotel’s brand will be refreshed along with its interiors and social spaces. Local hospitality-focused creative agency Cooper House will spearhead the rebrand, working to preserve the hotel’s storied history while elevating the guest experience for a new era. 

Ortus Investments, an Oklahoma-based hospitality investment company led by Mark Beffort, Andy Burnett, and Matthew Benjamin, has acquired a number of hotel properties since the pandemic. Joining a portfolio of hotels in Chicago and New York, Oklahoma’s most historic hotel will be a crowning jewel for locals and tourists alike. Ortus selected Cooper House due to their focus on preserving brand equity and their strategic approach to hospitality branding. 

“The Skirvin’s history is central to our city’s larger story, and our goal is to preserve as much of that history as possible,” said Beffort. “We feel confident that Cooper House will help us achieve that.” 

Since 1911, the Skirvin Hotel has been the mainstay for high-profile travelers, including Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and a host of NBA players. These days, the hotel is known more for its ghost stories than its gathering spaces and modern amenities. Cooper House and Ortus Investments, alongside newly appointed Skirvin General Manager Chase Rollins, are setting out to change that. 

“As an Oklahoma City native, managing a hotel as prominent as the Skirvin is a dream come true,” Rollins said. “Our entire city is rooting for the Skirvin to succeed, and I am committed to elevating the iconic and historic Skirvin Hilton’s reputation as a leader in luxury accommodations in the Oklahoma City area.”

The $15 million project will include a complete renovation of the hotel’s guest rooms, interiors, and guest experiences, alongside a strategic rebrand that will position the Skirvin Hotel as a premier destination for business and leisure travelers and a hotspot for Oklahoma city locals. 

“The Skirvin is, without a doubt, our city’s most historically significant hotel,” said Tim Cooper, CEO of Cooper House. “We’ve had the opportunity to brand hotels across the country in recent years, but it is an immense privilege to leverage our expertise for a hotel as prominent as the Skirvin—and in our hometown, no less.”

After the completion of The Ellison Hotel in 2021—and securing a spot on the list of Marriott preferred branding vendors—Cooper House has landed Hilton, Marriott and IHG hospitality projects in urban hubs and coastal towns across the country. The agency was founded by husband and wife duo Tim and Erin Cooper in 2006 and has narrowed their focus in recent years to the hospitality sector, bringing an approach that’s centered on distinctiveness and strategy. For the Skirvin brand restoration, the agency plans to preserve the hotel’s name and restore some of its most historic and iconic design elements.