(MINNEAPOLIS; November 25, 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.
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.
