Wednesday, March 27, 2024
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Rand Tower Reborn as Rand Tower Hotel Minneapolis

By Megan Gosch

After a year that kept most explorers close to home, the newly transformed Rand Tower Hotel Minneapolis is ready to whisk guests away on a new adventure. With the completion of a $110 million-dollar transformation, the Jazz Age architectural icon that once housed office space has been reborn as a luxe 270-room boutique hotel. 

An aviation-inspired design scheme pays homage to the hotel’s namesake, Rufus Rand Jr.—a fearless adventurer, daring airman and local entrepreneur—and invites guest to set their sights skyward. “The grandeur really hits you as you walk in,” says general manager Dennis Wilson. “From the original turnstile entrance and the signature winged golden statue that greets guests as they arrive, to the celestial and art deco motifs woven throughout the space, it’s like you’re stepping back into the 1930s. It’s its own adventure.”

Each guest room seamlessly blends elements of hardwood, polished brass, canvas and a calming cloudscape color palette of blues and greys, while down at Whiskey & Soda, the glam first-floor cocktail lounge, playful nods to the two lion cubs that lived with Rand’s squadron also make an appearance. Guests can sip hand-crafted cocktails, choose from an extensive selection of whiskeys and nosh on a contemporary menu of globally-inspired small plates from chef de cuisine Andy Vyskocil—all with a French flair. 

With four meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 125 guests theater-style, Wilson notes the hotel is well-suited for small events like executive meetings and VIP dinners. “We’re not a big meeting house. Our spaces are very intimate and options like our boardroom which seats up to 30 are flawlessly designed with high-level A/V and to offer refined service,” he says. 

But the Rand Tower Club, the hotel’s fifth-floor rooftop bar and lounge, is its crowning jewel. Featuring a retractable roof and a pied-a-terre outdoor bar, attendees can meet among the clouds in one of the city’s few breezy open-air escapes with striking views. The Rand Tower will be open to the public as a restaurant, but can be rented for large private events of up to 300 guests. “It’s a fun, sleek space that was designed for bigger bashes with a sophisticated club vibe,” he says. “With a large state of the art screen, 12 TVs, subwoofers, customizable lights, and the expertise of our A/V pros, we can create some impressive programming for the ultimate visual impact. The sky’s the limit.”

As a Marriott Tribute property, the hotel follows all CDC guidelines and adheres to Marriott’s Commitment to Clean safety protocols. The hotel has also equipped each guest room and common area with an advanced air quality reader that measures particulates and air pollutants in real-time. Sentry kiosks, which can screen for health and body temperature, and distribute sanitizer, are available to guests through the check-in process, prior to entering the bar and lounge, and when attending private parties and social gatherings. “The ultimate goal is to take as many precautions as possible to make sure our staff and guests are safe, relaxed and comfortable.”
 

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