US boutique hotel brand Salt Hotels is to premiere in the country’s Midwest next year with a new site in Minneapolis.

A first-of-its-kind development for the burgeoning city, The West Hotel will transport Salt Hotels’ signature hospitality and thoughtful curation of guest experiences to the Twin Cities area.

Historic integration

The brand’s latest development is a collaboration between parties including Minneapolis-based developer Commutator LLC, Salt Hotels; Snow Kreilich Architects; Neri&Hu and Greiner Construction.

Located steps from the Mississippi riverfront in Minneapolis’ North Loop, the 123-room property encompasses a modern structure integrating four historic buildings.

Meeting and eating

The West will feature an expansive lobby housed in a former brass foundry, including communal workspaces, fireside lounge, library and bar, creating a new social hub. The property will also include a stone cellar cocktail bar, a rooftop bar with an outdoor terrace featuring city views, an outdoor dining patio and six flexible event spaces for meetings, social events and special occasions.

Spearheading culinary operations is prominent local chef Tim McKee. His signature restaurant will offer Basque-inspired food drawing from the cuisines of northern Spain, with a particular focus on San Sebastián, Bilbao, and Pamplona. Chef McKee will also be launching an Eastern Mediterranean inspired bakery featuring a wood fired oven. McKee will also operate the culinary offering in the hotel’s events and in-room dining programme.

Contemporary design

The hotel’s exterior is designed by Snow Kreilich Architects and the interior architecture and furnishings are designed by Neri&Hu, completing one of its first hotels in North America.

The guestrooms will house custom designed contemporary wooden cabinetry and furniture, expansive windows, lush fabrics, commissioned original art and amenity-filled bathrooms. Rooms in the historic buildings also feature exposed brick walls evoking their 19th Century pedigree.

Community gathering place

Commutator LLC partner David Wilson said: “My partners and I are elated to bring these iconic historic buildings back to life, while setting a new standard for superb design and hospitality excellence in Minneapolis. With Salt Hotels’ gracious management style, The West will be a welcoming community gathering place for locals, and an inspiring destination for visitors from around the world.”

Salt Hotels’ CEO David Bowd added: “We’re eager to expand into this vibrant city and collaborate with these amazing and talented partners. I fell in love with Minneapolis the first time I visited. The people are incredible, and the beautiful architecture, along with its strong creative culture and appreciation for service and design – both cornerstones of Salt Hotels – solidified Minneapolis as Salt Hotels’ latest venture. We’re excited to be expanding here during a time when such transformational developments are taking place.”

The brand’s pipeline of openings includes developments in Nantucket, MA, Newport, RI, Litchfield, CT and Mexico.

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