Harry Stinson has lowered his sights on his Buffalo Grand Hotel, though he's still keen on the project.

The Canadian developer – who bought the former Adam's Mark Hotel a year ago – still wants his $30 million transformation to raise the bar on the quality and service of the city's largest hotel.

But after spending the past year getting to know both the hotel and the Buffalo marketplace, he now admits that he may have been aiming a little too high.

"I think I had a different impression upfront," he said. "I was thinking more in terms of a four-star, like we'll make this into the Plaza Hotel of Buffalo. In hindsight, I think that was probably a misplaced destination."

Now, he said, he sees it as what it's been – a large, midrange hospitality facility, in a city with an abundance of small hotels, where rates are typically $100 to $200 per night.

"It's a group hotel, and in a way, it's been useful having the time to really grasp what it is," he said. "I did not think it would take this long, but appreciating its role in the community has been awhile."