After undergoing an extensive renovation, earlier this month a hotel near the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus rebranded itself as
The Commons Hotel.
Rockbridge Partners in Ohio took over the 304-room hotel that was once a
Radisson, last March, according to the
Star Tribune.
Although she didn’t have an exact figure, Christa Hudson, a spokesperson for the project, says millions of dollars went into converting the place into a boutique hotel.
To do so,
Noble House Hotels & Resorts, the hotel’s management company, drew inspiration from the locale, she says.
Noble House wanted to “translate more of the area and reflect Minneapolis,” she says.
The result is a kind of industrial schoolhouse look, or “geek chic,” that relates to the backdrop of the nearby
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Campus. “The whole aesthetic is about learning and discovering,” she says.
Design aspects like an argyle pattern that runs throughout the building, leather-upholstered furniture, a library lounge, and a fire pit create a studious yet comfortable feel, she says.
Also, the hotel will be offering special events like "alchemist mixology" lessons, “
Words with Friends”-themed happy hours, and promotional packages with area cultural institutions.
These include a “geek to chic makeover at the
Aveda Institute headquarters, Science Buzz meeting at the
Science Museum of Minnesota, personal story and book creation at
Loft Literary Center and tour of the world’s largest Sherlock Holmes exhibit at the University of Minnesota,” a prepared statement reads.
The idea is to encourage people to explore the area, Hudson says.
Additionally, the hotel’s restaurant, the Beacon Public House, which will open in November, will be a gastropub with a locally sourced drink and food menu. Besides serving hotel guests, it’ll be a draw for people who live in the area, she says.
All in all, “The idea is that it’s not just me staying at The Commons,” she says. “It’s me in Minneapolis.”
Source: Christa Hudson, spokesperson from the Zimmerman Agency for The Commons Hotel
Writer: Anna Pratt