Perhaps you noticed the abandoned Aksarben Suites hotel on your way to The Drover. Located at 73rd and Cedar Streets, it is near Aksarben Village, institutions of higher learning and large employers. Despite that, the hotel has been vacant for a number of years and is an eyesore with its boarded up windows, abandoned tires and furniture in the parking lot.

Postcard of the courtyard at the former Royale Granada.

Built in 1973 as the Granada Royale Hometel. The hotel with a Spanish motif had 108 suites surrounded by a central courtyard featuring tropical landscaping beneath a skylight. Glass enclosed elevators and balconies provided views of the rock terraced gardens. It even had a shared floor that was called the “living room” where patrons were served cocktails.

A glimpse inside the Royale Granada.

It became an Embassy Suites in 1987 after it purchased the Granada Royale chain. It was acquired by Doubletree in 1997. After becoming an independent hotel in 2015 it changed its name to Aksarben Suites. At that time it underwent a $4M renovation.

2021 photo of the Aksarben Suites before the building was vacant.

Recent plans to redevelop the hotel have failed. More recently, however, there’s been a new proposal to convert then building into 197 studio apartments that are from 550 to 650 sq ft. Rents will cost between $1,195 and $1,395 per month. If approved, construction is expected to begin this summer and end by August 2026.

Photos from the real estate listing.

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More pictures

2014 photo of the Doubletree Hotel.
Inside the Royal Granada courtyard.
1974 advertisement featuring the Royale Granada Hometel in Time Magazine.

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