Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center, Stevens Point WI

This complex is owned by an area investment group.  It consists of a 149 room full service hotel, 20,000 square feet of meeting, convention and exhibition space, and The Amber Grill, an attached bar and restaurant.   We provided the interior design services for the entire project when it was constructed in 2005.

The original design had a classic Arts and Crafts influence; chosen to pay homage to the rustic character and logging heritage of the Stevens Point area, and appeal to the predominately regional guests that it was targeted to serve.  The public space interiors featured an extensive use of materials derived from nature, such as wood, stacked stone, hand cast floor tiles, and forged lighting fixtures fabricated of iron and mica. This aesthetic was carried into the guestrooms as well.

Cowette Seward was asked to again provide interior design services for a renovation to meet the IHG Property Improvement Plan, which commenced in 2017.  The plan initially called for the complete gutting of the existing interiors throughout the public spaces and guestrooms, including all of the paneling, stone, the lobby fireplace, etc.  This would have been extremely expensive, and would have mitigated the visual connection of the interiors with the area.  Through extensive negotiations with the brand, the hotel ownership was granted variances allowing them to retain the majority of those existing interior finishes, and permitted us to develop a unique design integrating them, while conforming to the brand's rigorous standards.

To this end, we have been working on a phased renovation which is now underway.  The new design blends the look of Holiday Inn's prototype, with our uniquely designed furnishings and materials, and the existing hotel finishes, resulting in a fresh new look that speaks to the area and architecture.  It utilizes unique custom carpet patterns with strong graphic imagery, colorful furnishings using rich patterns and textures, and a collection of indigenous photography curated for the hotel, all serving to unify the indoor spaces with the outdoors and reinforce the sense of place.

We believe this was truly a "win/win" scenario:  IHG is getting an updated property that reflects their brand standards, and the owners were able to retain most of their hotel's unique character and special features in a way that will provide their guests with an enhanced visual experience that is both familiar and new.