The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza

What The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza does

The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza is a privately held, suite-style hotel operating 127 renovated accommodations in Duluth, Minnesota's historic Canal Park district, at 325 South Lake Avenue. The property is owned by Marine Iron & Ship Building Company, which acquired the 1889 Marshall-Wells warehouse buildings in 1967, and operates with a lean team of 7 listed employees. The hotel offers a tiered accommodation portfolio spanning studio suites, one- and two-bedroom suites, whirlpool suites, ADA-accessible rooms, and multi-bedroom condo units under the sub-brand The Condos at Waterfront Plaza, all featuring kitchenettes or full kitchens.

Revenue is generated primarily through nightly suite rentals, supplemented by extended-stay accommodations targeted at healthcare providers, event and meeting space rentals (Bay Room and Mezzanina), catering and refreshment services, and pet fees ($75/night). Distribution is conducted through direct online booking via Synxis (be.synxis.com), phone reservations, a dedicated group sales team handling 10+ room bookings, and a tourism marketing partnership with Visit Duluth. Discount programs include a Canadian Friends 20% rate, Active Duty Military 10% rate, and an Advance Purchase Program.

The hotel targets six identified customer segments: business travelers and corporate groups (primary), families and group vacationers (primary), extended-stay guests, tour groups, sports teams, and couples on romantic getaways. Amenities include a complimentary hot breakfast, indoor pool, hot tub, kiddie pool, sauna, fitness center, business center, and meeting facilities for 5-40 people. The property holds WCAG 2.0 and Section 508 digital accessibility certifications and offers ADA-accessible room categories.

Name

The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza

Legal name

The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza

Website

https://thesuitesduluth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza is a privately held, 127-key suite-style hotel in Duluth's historic Canal Park, offering renovated accommodations with full kitchens, event space, and amenities for business travelers, families, tour groups, and extended-stay guests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel & Hospitality Lodging

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (721110), Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Business & Corporate Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Resort-Style Extended-Stay Properties (THAGAEAL), Marina & Waterfront Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAK)

Keywords

• Suite hotel lodging
• Extended stay accommodations
• Hotel meeting event spaces
• Canal Park hotel rooms
• Pet friendly hotel suites

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Hotel Accommodations: Nightly suite rentals ranging from studio suites to three-bedroom condos. All units feature kitchens or kitchenettes. Room types include Studio Queen/King, One Bedroom King, Whirlpool King, Premium Whirlpool Suite, and Two Bedroom King Suite.
2. Extended Stay Rentals: Extended stay accommodations for healthcare providers and others traveling to Duluth for extended periods. Full kitchens available with rates and availability handled through sales office.
3. Event and Meeting Space Rental: Rental of meeting and event spaces including the Bay Room (756 sq ft) and Mezzanina. Revenue from room rental, refreshments (coffee, juice, snacks), and optional catering services.
4. Food and Beverage: Complimentary hot breakfast included with stay. Refreshment catering for events including coffee ($15/carafe), juice ($11/carafe), soda ($1.75/bottle), and baked goods.
5. Pet Fees: Pet-friendly accommodation with $75 per night pet fee. Not all room types allow pets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza is a 127-suite, suite-style hotel located in Duluth, Minnesota's historic Canal Park. It rents studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, whirlpool, premium, and condominium-style accommodations with full kitchens or kitchenettes, complemented by event space, complimentary breakfast, and an indoor pool/spa/fitness amenity package. Revenue is earned primarily from nightly room rentals, extended-stay bookings, group reservations (corporate, tour, sports, wedding), and event-space rental.

Product overview

The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza is a suite-style hotel offering 127 newly renovated accommodations in Duluth's historic Canal Park. The product portfolio includes multiple accommodation tiers: standard suites (Studio Queen/King, One Bedroom King, Whirlpool King, Premium Whirlpool, and Two Bedroom King), ADA-accessible suites, and condo units (Two King Whirlpool Condo, Two Bedroom Condo, Three Bedroom Condo, and ADA One Bedroom Condo). Amenities include indoor pool/hot tub/kiddie pool/sauna, complimentary hot breakfast, fitness center, meeting facilities (Bay Room and Mezzanina event spaces), and free high-speed internet. The hotel also offers pet-friendly rooms, group booking services for tour groups, sports teams, and wedding parties, with services like bus parking, express check-in, and complimentary rooms for qualifying group bookings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Condos at Waterfront Plaza: Spacious family-friendly condos with full kitchens, dining areas, fireplaces, sleeper sofas, 2 bathrooms and 2 or more bedrooms located at Waterfront Plaza.

Products and services

• Suite Accommodations

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lift Bridge Lodge: Independently operated Canal Park, Duluth hotel positioned for families and groups near the aerial lift bridge, directly overlapping The Suites Hotel's leisure and group segments.
• South Pier Inn: Independent Duluth waterfront hotel on Canal Park with suite-style rooms and Lake Superior views, competing head-to-head for the same Canal Park leisure and group demand.
• Canal Park Lodge: Independent suite-style hotel located steps away in Canal Park, Duluth, directly competing for the same leisure, group, and corporate travelers on Lake Superior's waterfront.
• Pier B Resort Hotel: Full-service waterfront resort hotel in Duluth with suites, event space, and extended-stay-style accommodations, competing for the same corporate, group, and leisure demand in the Duluth market.

Broad incumbents

• Hampton Inn Duluth: Hilton-affiliated select-service hotel in Duluth capturing leisure and corporate demand via Hilton Honors, applying loyalty-driven pricing pressure to independent properties.
• Residence Inn by Marriott Duluth: Extended-stay branded competitor in the Duluth market, offering suite-style rooms with kitchens targeting the same healthcare and project-based extended-stay demand.
• Sheraton Duluth Hotel: Major-chain full-service hotel in the Duluth market offering meeting space, loyalty-program reach, and group sales infrastructure that competes for the same corporate and group travelers.
• Comfort Inn Duluth: Select-service chain hotel in Duluth offering complimentary breakfast and group amenities, competing in the same value-conscious leisure and corporate price band.
• Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Duluth: Suite-style branded competitor near Duluth attractions, with similar family/group amenities (breakfast, pool) and the backing of a national distribution system.
• Radisson Hotel Duluth: Branded full-service hotel serving Duluth's corporate, group, and event demand, with the loyalty and distribution scale that the independent Suites Hotel must compete against.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-suites-hotel-at-waterfront-plaza

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza