Mystic — The new owner of the Mystic Hilton outlined the ongoing top-to-bottom transformation of the 29-year-old hotel during a Wednesday night reception at the hotel.

Lou Carrier, whose firm Distinctive Hospitality Group of Natick, Mass., bought the Hilton last May for $12.9 million and immediately began planning the renovations, said that all areas of the facility are being refurbished — from the 189 guest rooms, lobby, bar and restaurant to the landscaping, lighting and back-of-the-house areas not seen by the public — with some sections being demolished and then rebuilt.

“We began with a mission of not just renovating but repositioning, relaunching and catapulting this hotel to a level of success not seen before,” Carrier told the 75 local officials and business leaders in attendance.

He said that for the past handful of years the once venerable hotel “had been withering on the vine.”

Rob Palleschi, who heads Hilton Worldwide, said there were questions whether the chain should remain in Mystic, but Carrier convinced them to stay when he bought the hotel.

He said Carrier’s reputation and his previous work with Hilton “made it easy for us to stay.”

“This hotel is critical for us and our reputation,” he said.

Carrier said he saw a unique opportunity with the Mystic Hilton.

“We love Mystic. We’re from New England and we love Mystic because it’s very New England,” he said. “We want to be the best Hilton in the New England states. We want to put this hotel back on the map, and we’re very committed to doing that.”

In the coming weeks he said the crew working on the project will go from 22 to as many as 47 as the renovations are completed in one section of the hotel before proceeding on onto the next. The hotel is remaining open during the work, and the project is slated for completion by Labor Day.

“It will blow people away,” he said about the completed project.

Carrier declined to say how much is being spent on the project but said it will cost as much as building a new hotel.

“Anytime an existing business wants to upgrade and make itself more attractive, the Town of Stonington is supportive. We’re very proud of this effort by the Mystic Hilton,” said Stonington First Selectmen George Crouse. “Looking at the drawings it’s a beautiful renovation of an existing hotel that was nice to begin with. Now it’s super.”

“Whenever a company such as Hilton, which is in 82 countries, decides to invest in Mystic, that’s good news for Stonington,” added Stonington Selectman Rob Simmons, the state’s former business advocate under Gov. Jodi Rell.

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