About The St. Paul Hotel
Built in 1910, this 254 room hotel underwent a major renovation in the early 1980’s, directed by a prominent New York interior design firm. I recall visiting it shortly thereafter, and thinking of what an honor it would be to someday work on this fabulous historic property. In 2003, we were retained as the interior design team for a substantial renovation encompassing all guestrooms and suites, corridors and lobbies.
To stay within budgetary parameters, many existing elements were retained: In the public spaces, natural oak millwork and travertine marble floors were kept; the later augmented with new checkerboard patterned travertine accents in areas formerly carpeted. In the typical guestrooms, Queen Anne style case goods and poster headboards, along with bathroom wall tile from the 80's renovation were thoughtfully integrated with our new look, to not appear out of place.
We developed a rich, timeless color palette reflective of Minnesota's four seasons that was carried throughout the hotel. The new aesthetic payed homage to the hotel's Renaissance Revival architectural style, recalling the lavish and romantic splendor of that era, while providing the amenities and comforts expected by discerning modern day guests. Carpets, area rugs, and many of the new furnishings and faux finishes were custom designed by our staff. Partition walls were demolished to establish a visual connection with the active street beyond, and allow natural light to flood the lobby. A new Lobby Bar, delineated by ornamental architectural ironwork facade of our design, has an intimate presence. Sparkling crystal chandeliers in the lobby are suspended from dramatic ceiling coffers. An authentically crafted limestone fireplace was designed to anchor the space, while providing warmth to the intimate seating groups that fill the sumptuous lounge.
Special details abound throughout the property. To reinforce the sense of place, guestroom artwork evolved from 19th century historic lithographs, depicting buildings from the Saint Paul area that I discovered at a flea market. We hand tinted them to harmonize with our color palettes using historic techniques, and reproduced them as wall art for the guestrooms and suites.
Subsequent to the renovation, we maintained the design integrity through select furnishings replacements on an as needed basis.
We are proud to have been a part of this iconic hotel that has a dominant presence in its market, and is sometimes referred to as the Midwest's most elegant hotel, for almost two decades. The Saint Paul Hotel has garnered many awards; highlighted by making Conde Nast's list of top hotels in the world. We redesigned the Grand Ballroom and prefunction space a few years after the main project, and since then the hotel has been honored as Twin Cities' top wedding venue.
