Soul Trust Completes Hyatt Unscripted Conversion, Opening 233-Suite Hotel Near Mesa Light Rail
MESA, ARIZONA — June 4, 2026

Soul Trust Completes Hyatt Unscripted Conversion, Opening 233-Suite Hotel Near Mesa Light Rail

Soul Trust developer Dan Duffus announced the completed conversion of a failed apartment building into a 233-suite Hyatt Unscripted hotel with restaurant and office components in Mesa near the light rail station.

Soul Trust Completes Hyatt Unscripted Conversion, Opening 233-Suite Hotel Near Mesa Light Rail

Developer Dan Duffus of Soul Trust announced the completion and opening of a 233-suite Hyatt Unscripted hotel conversion at a Mesa city meeting on June 4, 2026. The project transformed a failed apartment building that was in bankruptcy into a mixed-use hospitality property featuring three distinct restaurant concepts, commercial office suites, and a full-service hotel with restaurant and conference amenities. The location, adjacent to Mesa's light rail station, was cited as a key driver in the decision to pivot from residential to hotel use.

Project Narrative

Duffus described the project's arc from distress to activation. "This was a project that was under construction but it unfortunately failed and was in bankruptcy," he explained. "And so the city of Mesa asked if I would participate and so got me involved and we decided to convert it from an apartment building to a hotel because of the great location."

The intervention by the city, coupled with the light rail proximity, prompted Soul Trust to pursue the adaptive reuse strategy rather than allow the property to languish. Duffus stated that he was "just hoping for a very vibrant, you know, atmosphere" and emphasized the transit asset: "The light rail goes right by. There's a station right here so we're very excited about activating space."

Hotel Configuration & Amenities

The 233-suite Hyatt Unscripted comprises the primary component of the building. All rooms are configured as suites—approximately 400 square feet each—with full kitchens and king and double bed options. On-site amenities include a gymnasium, conference rooms, a pool, and a full lobby.

Retail & Food & Beverage

The ground-floor retail section houses three restaurant and food concepts operating under different brands:

  1. Crust Italian — Full-service Italian restaurant expected to open before the end of June 2026.
  2. Bombolinas — A doughnut, gelato, and coffee shop positioned as a morning/daytime venue, also targeting end-of-June opening.
  3. Nightingale — A speakeasy concept positioned at the back of the space, with opening targeted for fall 2026.

Office Component

A 4-suite commercial office component occupies the second floor. Duffus indicated that the office space is expected to come online around the first of the year (i.e., early 2027).

Current Status

As of the June 4, 2026 meeting, the hotel was officially open and accepting reservations. The food and beverage components were in a phased rollout: Crust and Bombolinas were on track for late-June debuts, while Nightingale's fall opening allows for additional buildout and staffing.

Project Details

Outcome & Next Steps

The project is now operational. Public-facing milestones are:

Context: Adaptive Reuse & Transit-Oriented Development

This conversion exemplifies adaptive reuse in response to construction failure and bankruptcy. The project's pivot from residential to hospitality aligns with Mesa's light rail investment strategy and reflects a broader national trend of converting failed or stalled residential projects into hotel, mixed-use, and event spaces—particularly in transit-rich locations. Soul Trust's purchase out of bankruptcy and the city's engagement suggest municipal interest in minimizing long-term vacancy and recapitalizing distressed assets. The emphasis on suites with kitchens and extended-stay amenities (gym, conference rooms) positions the Hyatt Unscripted as a hybrid between traditional transient lodging and corporate housing.

Duration

Not stated in transcript.

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Source: The 233 Suites - Unscripted by Hyatt is now open in downtown Mesa — June 4, 2026. Auto-generated YouTube transcript; may contain transcription errors.

My name [music] is Dan Deffes. I'm with Soul Trust. We were the people that bought this [music] out of bankruptcy in 2025 and converted it to a Hyatt hotel. And the entire building is broken up into three components. This is the 233 suites which is a Hyatt Unscripted hotel. The second floor is going to be four commercial suites and then there's a retail section with three restaurant concepts by Crust Italian.

So it's Crust Italian, Bombolinos which is a donut, gelato and coffee shop in the morning. And then there's going to be a speak easy called Nightingale in the back. The hotel is now officially open. They're accepting reservations and Crust should be open before the end of June and Bombolinos [music] is as well. Nightingale probably won't open until the fall. All the rooms are suites [music] so they are set up with a full kitchen, kings and doubles.

So each one of them are about 400 square foot suites. There is a gym facility on site, conference rooms [music] available, a pool and just the lobby area here. And then the office probably around [music] the first of the year will be open. This was a project that was under construction but it unfortunately failed and was in bankruptcy.

And so the city of Mesa asked if I would participate and so got me involved and we decided to convert it from an apartment building to a hotel [music] because of the great location. I'm just hoping for a very vibrant, you know, atmosphere. The light rail goes right by. There's a station right here so we're very excited about activating space.

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