The hotel is the product of a novel investment alliance. The partnership of property owners consists of the District's The Donohoe Cos., Bethesda, MD-based Hospitality Partners, and Four Fires LLC--a concern involving Wisconsin' s Forest County Potawatomi Community and Oneida Tribe of Indians, and California's San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, and Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. Speaking to GlobeSt.com, Hospitality Partners' Mike Dickens explains that "58% of the equity investment is Four Fires, and 42% of it is the local partnership." Donohoe is serving as the project developer, and Hospitality Partners will manage the property for ten years after the opening. For Four Fires, the hotel project represents the growing effort among American Indians to diversify investments beyond reservation-based gaming projects.

Representatives from the three-entity alliance, and other relevant organizations will attend next week's groundbreaking. "It will be a ceremonial ground blessing and groundbreaking," Dickens notes. "It's a combination of tribal cultural traditions that we want to honor, as well as the fact that we've created this partnership."