Ella Gustafson, Mabel Simpson, Alexandra Tihanyi

Projcet

Hotel Elevare

10:30am | Friday, April 24th

Three women standing in front of a green marble wall.

Project Background

This project responds to the evolving nature of business travel, where the focus has expanded beyond traditional accommodations to consider how professionals live while traveling. Additionally, hotels must now serve users whose needs overlap between concentrated work, meaningful social interaction, and personal well-being during travel.

Hotel Elevare is a 6-story hospitality concept created to challenge the limitations of conventional business travel hotels. This project centers on understanding how professionals truly work, connect, and maintain personal balance while traveling for their careers. The insights gathered are being translated into a more intentional and functional hospitality model, with the goal of producing a concept shaped by real user needs.

To guide the design approach, our team completed research analyzing coworking spaces, remote work travel behavior, third-place environments, guest well-being, sensory hotel experience, and sustainable accessible hospitality strategies. Additional preparation included site visits, interviews, website reviews, and survey input. Included in the scope is the design for Levels 1 through 3, which contains shared amenities and guest rooms on floors 2 and 3. The remaining three floors stay in our narrative as guest rooms that will carry the same design intent, even as the floor plate narrows on Levels 4 through 6.

Hotel Elevare logo

Level 1 of Hotel Elevare encompasses approximately 30,900 SF and establishes the hotel’s primary public environment. The lobby and restaurant are positioned in close proximity to create a smooth arrival-to-dining experience. The ballroom and its dedicated storage area are located adjacent to the lobby, providing a nice transition for guests to socialize as they make their way into the ballroom. Additional back-of-house spaces are strategically placed to increase staff efficiency and improve guest experience. Together, this level functions as the core of public activity, food service, and event operations while maintaining strong adjacencies between guest amenities and staff support areas.

Level 2 of Hotel Elevare includes approximately 24,899 SF and blends workplace and hospitality functions. The business center, approximately 13,399 SF, positioned directly adjacent to the main stair and elevator bank for efficient wayfinding. The building’s L-shaped layout dedicates the long wing to all hotel guestrooms, which occupy approximately 11,500 SF and are organized along a double-loaded corridor to maximize space efficiency. This includes a mix of full, king, and suite guestrooms. Together, these areas create a cohesive level supporting both business activity and guest accommodations.

Level 3 of Hotel Elevare includes approximately 18,996 SF and combines wellness amenities with guestrooms. The fitness and recovery centers, totaling approximately 2,025 SF, are located along the shorter wing of the building in proximity to the pool deck. Guestrooms occupy approximately 11,500 SF and follow the same double-loaded corridor configuration as Level 2, providing efficient circulation while maintaining adjacency to back-of-house areas.

Interior Design

Email: susan.raydegges@ndsu.edu Phone: (701) 231-7218 Instagram Facebook Page Manager