Developers faced vacant industrial buildings that were difficult to modernize; they preserved original structures and turned them into hotels with modern guest facilities

A vacant industrial building, a forgotten parking garage and even a former mortuary might seem like unlikely foundations for luxury hotels. Yet across several cities, developers have chosen to preserve these structures rather than erase them, turning difficult properties into places where historic character and modern hospitality coexist.

The approach is known as adaptive reuse: instead of demolishing an old building and starting over, developers retain as much of the existing structure as practical and adapt it for a new purpose. For hotels, that can mean keeping exposed brick, heavy timber, old machinery, railway halls or other architectural traces while installing modern rooms, bathrooms, restaurants and building systems.

How did a forgotten denim mill become a luxury hotel in Athens?

In Athens, Georgia, Rivet House occupies part of the Southern Mill complex, a 160,000-square-foot campus of restored factory buildings. The three-story structure dates to between 1890 and 1902 and was once part of the city's denim and apparel manufacturing industry. After manufacturing declined, the building spent years deteriorating, with a collapsed roof, broken windows and overgrown interiors.


ALSO READ: A melting glacier exposed a body in the Alps in 1991; 5,300 years after his death, scientists turned Ötzi into one of history's most studied humans

The transformation began in earnest in 2020, with James and Jessica Whitley behind the project. Rather than strip away the industrial character, the restoration retained heart-pine beams, masonry walls, freight elevator doors and other remnants of the factory. About 20% of the timber framing was eventually replaced in kind, while new windows were designed to match the proportions of the historic mill.

Rivet House opened in June 2024 with 50 rooms, a spa and the Italian restaurant Osteria Olio. Its interiors combine exposed industrial materials with softer contemporary finishes, allowing the old structure to remain visually present instead of becoming a decorative backdrop.

What happened to Finland's former textile factory?

The same idea appears in Tampere, Finland, where the Finlayson Industrial Area grew around what was once one of the Nordic region's largest cotton factories. Production eventually ended in the 1990s, leaving portions of the red-brick complex vacant.

Instead of clearing the site, successive projects converted its buildings for offices, restaurants, shops, museums and other uses. The Uumen Hotel, which opened in spring 2025, added a compact hotel concept to the district, using part of the former factory for contemporary rooms, shared spaces and a rooftop terrace.

The result demonstrates one advantage of adaptive reuse in dense urban areas: an existing building can provide the physical framework for a new business without requiring the entire site to be reconstructed from the ground up. At the same time, the old brick architecture remains part of the visitor experience.

Can an underground parking garage really work as a hotel?

London's Zedwell Underground Hotel Tottenham Court Road began with something far removed from traditional luxury hospitality: an abandoned underground car park. Developers retained the concrete shell and converted the subterranean space into a hotel with more than 700 soundproofed rooms, known as “cocoons.”

The rooms have no windows or televisions, while features such as air purification and soundproofing are designed around rest and quiet. The unusual setting becomes part of the hotel's identity. Instead of trying to disguise the fact that guests are underground, the design turns the absence of daylight and the enclosed concrete environment into part of the concept.

Why was a former furniture store revived in Savannah?

In Savannah, Georgia, Cohen's Retreat followed a different path. The building had once been the home of philanthropist Percival Randolph Cohen, later became a dormitory for Savannah State athletes and eventually operated as a furniture store.

It was abandoned during the 1980s before Colleen Smith purchased it at auction in December 2011. The redevelopment turned the property into a mixed-use destination with a restaurant and bar, cafés, boutique retail, art studios, gathering spaces and 10 individually designed cottages for overnight stays.

That combination matters because the building is not treated solely as accommodation. Weddings, private events and community gatherings give the property uses that extend beyond hotel guests, linking the restored structure to Savannah's local social life.

How did a former mortuary become a 1920s-inspired stay?

Hotel Vela in Gulfport, Mississippi, carries perhaps the most unusual former identity among the six. The building once operated as a mortuary and later housed a menswear shop before being converted into a 16-room boutique hotel.

The restoration incorporates exposed brick and other historic elements into an interior shaped around 1920s references. Its downstairs Siren Social Club uses a speakeasy-inspired design, creating a deliberate contrast between the building's somber past and its current role as a place for dining and accommodation.

One surviving detail makes the earlier history particularly tangible: a faint “Lang Undertaking” sign remains visible on the side of the building. Rather than removing every trace of its former use, the project allows that fragment of history to remain part of the property's identity.

What makes a railway station suitable for a modern hotel?

Salt Lake City's Asher Adams, Autograph Collection offers another example of how a landmark can acquire a completely different purpose without losing its architectural identity. The building began life as the Union Pacific Depot, a major railway station dating to 1908.

When it reopened as a design hotel in fall 2023, important features including the vaulted Grand Hall, terrazzo and Utah-themed murals were restored. The hotel's restaurants and bars also draw from the building's railway history, incorporating references to dining cars into contemporary hospitality spaces.

Projects of this kind can be technically demanding. Historic buildings may have outdated electrical systems, acoustic challenges and incomplete architectural records, forcing development teams to solve modern building requirements within structures never designed for them.