(MINNEAPOLIS; October 5, 2016)— Aparium Hotel Group announces a November open for Hewing Hotel (300 N Washington Ave) in Minneapolis’s North Loop neighborhood, transforming the century-old brick and timber warehouse Jackson Building into a Nordic-inspired retreat in the spirit of Minnesota’s northern woods and lakes. With the debut of the upscale, independent hotel, Aparium Hotel Group introduces Hewing as a cultural destination, complete with an onsite restaurant helmed by award-winning chef, as well as a rooftop experience with spa-pool, sauna and cocktail lounge that features spectacular views of the Minneapolis skyline.
“We built this hotel for the community,” said Mario Tricoci, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Aparium. “Our goal is to serve as a social anchor for Minneapolis’s North Loop and as a genuine portal for travelers to experience Minnesota’s Up North sensibility.”
A Hewing Hotel History Inspired by the loggers who helped build the City of Minneapolis over 100 years ago, Hewing Hotel derives its name “hewing” from the process by which one transforms raw wood into timber and pays tribute to the building’s past life as a warehouse for farm equipment. From interior design that features old-growth beams and posts harvested from Minnesota’s own pine forests, to food and beverage offerings inspired by the state’s great Northern woods and lakes, the hotel embraces Minneapolis’s heritage while offering contemporary amenities and experiences for locals and travelers alike.
Of Woods and Lakes: Dining at Tullibee
Hewing Hotel joins the esteemed culinary ranks of its North Loop neighbors, offering a dining destination helmed by Food & Wine‘s Best New Chef 2015 Executive Chef Grae Nonas. With a focus on hyperlocal sourcing and partnerships with regional farmers, freshwater fishermen, and top-quality area vendors, Tullibee pays tribute to Minnesota’s culinary and cultural roots by drawing inspiration from its woods and lakes. The name “Tullibee” comes from one of the Minnesota’s rarest fish found in the state’s coldest deep northern lakes.
“I’ve always considered myself to be a Viking,” said Nonas. “My family has Norwegian origins, much like this part of the country, and I feel right at home in Minneapolis.”
Chef Nonas will embrace many of the practices that have rooted Minneapolis’s culinary traditions, including foraging, butchery, and fermentation. He will also showcase a full range of game and offal as well as a rotating market-driven chalkboard of off-cuts. Nonas will look to create dishes driven by seasonality, hearty vegetables, and sharable fish and meat dishes served from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and oven.
An “Up North” Year-Round Rooftop Experience Hewing Hotel’s sixth-floor rooftop will welcome hotel guests and locals alike to a spectacular view of the downtown skyline that can be enjoyed throughout the year with a drink in hand from the rooftop cocktail bar. The space boasts a spa-pool designed for summer enjoyment and winter hot-tubbing as well as a 20-person cedar-wood sauna that is available throughout the year. Hotel guests and members of The Rooftop Social Club, a one-of-a-kind amenity that provides special access to the rooftop, can enjoy the spa-pool, sauna experience and special rooftop amenities during the day. Meanwhile, the public can take in the view at the extensive rooftop lounge complete with fire pits during the evening hours.
A Rough, Refined Minnesotan Design Like all of its hotels, Aparium Hotel Group utilizes the building’s rich history to guide the evolution, design, and character of the project.
Hewing Hotel’s interior design from Elness Swenson Graham Architects celebrates old and new, creating a community-centric space that showcases rough elements balanced with the refinement of contemporary touches. Incorporating elements from the hotel’s history and surrounding neighborhood, as well as products from local artisans, the guest experience is designed to usher travelers into the culture of Minneapolis, while serving as a hub for locals to gather, share, and celebrate.
Throughout the hotel, original 19th-century wood columns and masonry walls are blended with new raw materials, including a steel and glass vestibule, custom mosaic tile in the bar, and hardwood floors accented by various handmade area rugs. The eclectic use of steel, wood, stone, zinc, and custom millwork add authentic urban grit, while softened with materials such as leather, flannel, wools, and knits enhanced by colors and patterns that give the space an overall feel of being ‘Up North’. Assorted lighting includes a combination of mid-century modern fixtures in the lobby, uncovered vintage chandeliers in the ballrooms and a cascading hand-blown glass installation in the atrium from Foci – Minnesota Center for Glass Arts, a local glass-blowing fellowship in Northeast Minneapolis.
Upon entering the hotel through the custom glass-and-steel vestibule, guests will be surrounded by the massive timber atrium providing views of the first floor lobby, the guestroom floors, the sixth floor rooftop, and the Minneapolis sky above. The lobby provides both intimate spaces and large areas for gatherings, welcoming guests and locals to participate in the hotel’s regular programming.
The main level features The Andrews Ballroom, The Commissioner Boardroom, private dining rooms, lobby lounge areas, and a full service restaurant with an open wood-burning grill and oven inspired by Minnesota’s woods and lakes.
Minnesota Modern and Nordic Inspired Guest Rooms
An extension of the hotel’s preservation of Nordic and cultural heritage, Hewing Hotel’s 124 guest rooms celebrate and truly embrace what it means to be “Minnesota Modern.” The noteworthy design of the guestrooms was developed over time to fill each room with special touches of Minnesota and Scandinavian influence. From unique wall coverings that blend Nordic folklore patterns with iconic Minnesota images to custom-made Fairbault Woolen Mills blankets, each room offers a distinct experience filled with special touches, custom art furnishings and surprising details, much like the hotel itself.
To learn more about Hewing Hotel opening this fall, visit http://www.hewinghotel.com/.
