Rand Tower Hotel Opens December 2
The stylish Art Deco hotel will re-introduce the iconic Minneapolis building’s historical significance while offering modern accommodations and state-of-the-art technology
(MINNEAPOLIS; November 24, 2020)—Rand Tower Hotel, Minneapolis, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel managed by hospitality leader Oxford Hotels & Resorts LLC, announces the hotel opening located at 527 S. Marquette Avenue on Wednesday, December 2, 2020. With its prime address on the corner of Sixth and Marquette in downtown Minneapolis, Rand Tower Hotel offers modern travelers a vibrant, story-rich experience in the meticulously restored Art Deco-era Rand Tower, now enhanced with exciting food and beverage options, elegant meeting spaces, and stylishly detailed guest rooms.
A contemporary embodiment of the aviator, war hero, and Twin Cities industrial giant Rufus Rand Jr., the hotel’s namesake and visionary builder, Rand Tower Hotel captures the essence of Rand’s lifelong curiosity across multiple disciplines. At the forefront of this re-invention is owner Nick Peterson, a Minnesota native committed to re-introducing the historic tower with more than 20 years’ experience in restoration and remodeling of classic buildings and bringing stories back to life as tribute to its history with particular attention to the prominent Art Deco styling – even with the challenges of a pandemic.
“We are excited to re-introduce Rand Tower Hotel in the heart of downtown and share its incredible history with visitors and Minneapolis locals,” says Nick Peterson, Owner of Rand Tower Hotel and Founder & Principal of Maven. “We offer a completely unique and memorable experience, with state-of-the-art technology, including a proprietary air quality safety approach, Rand Tower Hotel will exceed the standards of today’s modern traveler while serving as a central hub for entertainment and connection.”
“After a successful multi-year collaboration with Nick and the entire development team, we are excited to open this distinctive luxury lifestyle hotel in one of Minneapolis’ most iconic buildings,” says John W. Rutledge, Founder, President and CEO of Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC and its parent company Oxford Capital Group, LLC.
Accommodations and Amenities
Showcasing 270 guestrooms elegantly designed with guests in mind, Rand Tower Hotel embodies a refined yet worldly perspective with residentially inspired spaces and a centralized location in downtown Minneapolis with direct access to the Skyway. Each guestroom features impressive windows that welcome in natural light and offer spectacular city views. Guestrooms range from Studio Kings to One-Bedroom Suites and feature amenities that accommodate the modern traveler’s needs and wants, including suites equipped with motorized blinds, MALIN+GOETZ luxury toiletries, and mobile key access.
The forward-thinking hotel additionally features state-of-the-art technology including mobile check-in and a proprietary air quality and monitoring system that provides a safer and more comfortable guest experience. Every guestroom is equipped with the advanced air quality reader that measures particulates and air pollutants in real-time to ensure guests are breathing the cleanest air possible and therefore feel relaxed and confident during their stay. The air readers, which can be adjusted in real-time based on air-quality metrics, will additionally be installed in all elevators, the lobby, the restaurants, the fitness center, and other common areas.
Rand Tower Hotel will deploy Sentry Kiosks™ designed to provide peace of mind by combining screening techniques, health evaluation surveys, and sanitization in a single platform. The kiosks are required for employees daily and available to guests to use at their leisure during the check-in process, prior to entering the bar and lounge, and when attending private parties and social gatherings.
Additionally, as part of Marriott Tribute Portfolio, guests can opt to enjoy world-class benefits with Rand Tower Hotel’s industry leading Marriot Bonvoy™ loyalty program. Members enjoy perks such as best guaranteed rates, free cancellation, mobile check-in and check-out, complimentary Wi-Fi, and more.
Design and Décor
The marvelous beauty of Rand Tower Hotel’s Art Deco-inspired style sets the stage for a sophisticated aesthetic and memorable experience with a color palate influenced by the sky in honor of the hotel’s science and aviation history. The restoration concept was developed alongside hotel design and development expert The Gettys Group and celebrates its landmark heritage while highlighting contemporary offerings , with terrazzo floors in the lobby, detailed enameling, a famous staircase, and other restored historical architectural elements including elevator finishes and a full exterior restoration. Every detail of the building’s stunning restoration was executed in partnership with Ryan Companies, a commercial construction specialist dedicated to creating spaces that bring stories to life.
Rand Tower Hotel’s overall design aesthetic extends beyond décor with attention to detail on other aspects such as the staff’s dress, which reflects the hotel’s rich history with clean military-inspired uniforms, aviator caps, and shearling trench coats.
“From the outset, we fell in love with this building, its namesake hero, and the opportunity to bring an emotional, multi-dimensional narrative to life through the public areas, guest rooms and food and beverage outlets,” said Ron Swidler, Chief Innovation Officer of The Gettys Group. “As Rufus Rand Jr. lived stories worthy of retelling, we have crafted a hotel experience worthy of exploring and sharing.
Food and Beverage
Whiskey & Soda – named after the famed lion cubs adopted by the aviator heroes of the Lafayette Escadrille in post-WWI Paris of which Rufus Rand was a member – offers classic yet contemporary décor in a “see and be seen” venue with oversized windows at Sixth and Marquette. French in nature, with historic touches evoking the Escadrille’s spirit and the lion cub mascots, providing ambiance, guests will enjoy inventive beverages and delightful small plates. Whiskey & Soda highlights a variety of signature cocktails and sipping whiskies as well as fizzy mocktails infused with traditional herbes de Provence for a French flair. Menu options will also spotlight the finest local and fresh seasonal ingredients. Whiskey & Soda will open in December with an all-day menu (pending current city dining restrictions) and available takeout options.
Rand Tower Club, on the hotel’s fifth floor, offers guests a highly distinctive and sophisticated rooftop bar and lounge serving as a culinary tribute to founder Rufus Rand Jr. and his passion for flight. With a swanky, upscale vibe, Rand Tower Club is helmed by Chef de Cuisine Andy Vyskocil and offers a wide variety of delectable French-style cuisine incorporating global influences with a Minnesota twist for creative, authentic dishes. Displaying a grand retractable rooftop, the lounge serves as a place where explorers can find their next adventure, even just for an evening, in addition to inventive cocktails, beer, and French-inspired wine selections. Rand Tower Club will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner beginning Spring 2021.
Meetings & Events
With its central downtown location and connection to the Skyway, Rand Tower Hotel makes an elegant and sophisticated backdrop to smaller-scale get-togethers of all kinds from weddings to executive meetings to sports gatherings offering multiple unique VIP areas and private event spaces. An entire floor of the hotel may be reserved for added privacy and exclusivity – the 26th floor offers private elevator access as a bonus. Rand Tower Hotel makes events simpler with available on-site planners, cutting-edge audiovisual technology, catering, mobile check-in, complimentary reservation links, managed reservations for guests, and rooming lists that show which guests have reserved rooms and when they plan to arrive.
About Rand Tower Hotel
Rand Tower Hotel, Minneapolis offers guests and visitors central city location perfection, sophistication, and appreciation for adventure in the meticulously restored Deco-era Rand Tower enhanced with exciting food and beverage outlets, elegant meeting spaces, and intimate, stylishly detailed guestrooms. A contemporary embodiment of war hero and Twin Cities industrial giant Rufus Rand Jr., the hotel’s namesake and visionary builder, Rand Tower Hotel captures the essence of Rand’s lifelong curiosity across multiple disciplines. Just as the tower stands out as an architectural masterpiece among its neighbors, so too does the hotel’s crisp service and attention to every detail, creativity, and delicate balance of historical references – as well as the finest in contemporary amenities and creature comforts. Since even locals can find themselves lost in the pedestrian footbridges, reservation confirmations include a map of the Skyway System with sporting events, performances, and events scheduled during a guest’s stay. Whiskey & Soda, the hotel’s lobby cocktail bar, the fifth-floor rooftop bar and lounge Rand Tower Club, and elegant meeting spaces make the Rand Tower Hotel the most endlessly interesting hotel address in downtown Minneapolis. For more information, please visit RandTowerHotel.com, or Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
About Marriott Tribute Portfolio
Tribute Portfolio is a growing global family of characterful, independent hotels drawn together by their passion for captivating design and their drive to create vibrant social scenes for guests and locals alike. With more than 40 hotels open and growing, Tribute Portfolio has struck a chord with those who seek out independent experiences and crave a connection with the community when traveling. From boutique resorts like Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in California and urban hotels such as The Vagabond Club in Singapore, to hotels in indie-spirited locales like Noelle in Nashville and The Slaak in Rotterdam, each Tribute Portfolio hotel celebrates its individuality offering travelers a fresh, often colorful, perspective. Stay with character and stay connected: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Tribute Portfolio is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the new name of Marriott’s travel program replacing Marriott Rewards®, The Ritz- Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG). The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including earning points toward free hotel stays and nights toward Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com.
About Oxford Hotels & Resorts LLC
Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC is Oxford Capital Group’s wholly owned hotel management affiliate. OHR specializes in operating, managing, and branding distinctive, high design luxury lifestyle hotels, and food & beverage venues, with a growing national collection of lifestyle hotels and brands that include Audrey, Cass, Essex, Felix, Godfrey, Julian, LondonHouse, Versey, and now the Rand Tower Hotel. It also has a growing collection of restaurants, rooftops, bars, and pool centric food & beverage venues including About Last Knife (ALK), I|O Rooftop, LH Rooftop, Ruka, Spa Boutique, SX Sky Bar, and WTR. Oxford Capital Group, LLC is an award-winning international real estate investment, development, and management firm. Oxford, its affiliates, and principals have been involved in over $3 billion of real estate and private equity investments, with a primary focus on hospitality (13,000+ hotel rooms); hospitality anchored mixed use projects including multi-family (1,000+ units); senior housing (3,000+ units); urban retail and parking; and other operationally intensive real estate. Oxford Residential, LLC is its multi-family residential development affiliate. Oxford Living, LLC is its senior housing investment and management platform.
About The Gettys Group
The Gettys Group is a family of hospitality-focused companies dedicated to creating the inspired moments that stay with guests and the defined details that enrich brands. For more than 30 years, they’ve guided developers, operators and brands in the creation of meaningful and rewarding hospitality experiences around the world. Whether they’re designing interiors for all tiers of the chain scale, directing program management for new developments, launching exciting brands or demystifying the procurement process – they elevate and transform, make things easy and create value. For more information please visit gettys.com.