Have you recently done a double-take on North Seventh Avenue in Bozeman? That’s the stylish new RSVP Motel, renovated from the 1960’s Rainbow Motel following the vision of the Folkvord family development team. Love | Schack has been working with Folkvord and interior designer Abby Heatherington since 2016 to convert this classic (but aging) motel building into a destination for the next generation of Montana visitors.
This rehabilitation is one of several significant projects in progress on North Seventh Ave, a prominent arterial road that the City has prioritized redeveloping. Coming soon is a new 1,500 seat performance center adjacent to the motel, resulting in an exciting total hospitality property. Love | Schack is particularly excited about this project’s impact on the developing character of North Seventh Street. The re-use of this iconic motel showcases Bozeman’s unique mountain town history while offering a distinctively modern and sophisticated design aesthetic.
While change is coming to small western cities like Bozeman, there are places where existing buildings offer character and deserve to be renewed, and this ‘motor-lodge’ is just such a place. The design team lobbied the City to allow the historic neon sign to remain when it was determined that it did not meet current sign code. The pool was renovated rather than replaced, which allowed it to keep its location directly adjacent to the pedestrian street front. Modest materials such as masonry block and natural wood were paired to create a fresh look while maintaining the scale of a small boutique establishment.
Rainbow Motel exterior before renovations.
Updated motel room entrances set a stylish stage while offering increased visitor privacy.
The RSVP pool was recently the site of a small Love | Schack soiree.
RSVP stands for Relax, Stay, Vacate and Play, an attitude that informed the project’s playful design approach. The motel features 37 rooms, a pool, private and shared fireplace patios and “The Farmer’s Daughters” a farm to table restaurant serving fresh locally sourced meals.
The Farmer’s Daughters Cafe offers fresh locally sourced meals (that can also be enjoyed poolside).
Upon check-in, guests are greeted with champagne and a cold hand towel. Design touches juxtapose the motel’s simple mid-century massing with playful, ethereal -- and definitely unexpected -- textures and finishes.
Guest rooms provide the unexpected.
...and the champagne!
The motel’s renovation went beyond a facelift and truly reframes the way we experience travel. The design team focused on delivering the unexpected, while not forgetting the fundamental elements of hospitality required to make guests feel safety, privacy, and luxury.
Soft textures and a stately palette sets the stage for relaxation.
Mid-century modern influences pay homage to the hotel’s historic roots.
For more information about the RSVP Motel, visit https://rsvpmotel.com/. To see news footage of the hotel before its renovation visit our blog post from 2016: http://loveschackarchitecture.com/blog?month=December-2016.
And, as always, keep us in mind for similar projects! We take the preservation of our historic fabric seriously and deliver all projects in service of our communities, our clients, and the environment.
Faithfully Yours,
The Love | Schack Team
Photo Credits: Whitney Kamman