70-Room Hotel Bemidji Reopens as City Express by Marriott

Everything is new," owner Chirag Patel said after a multi-month renovation that transformed the 70-room Hotel Bemidji into City Express by Marriott Bemidji at 2422 Ridgeway Ave. NW. The property, which opened in 1994 as a Holiday Inn Express, was purchased by Patel and his wife Sweta about two years ago and operates under their DCP Investments partnership based in Rochester, Minn.

Patel described a top-to-bottom refurbishment that aimed to meet modern brand standards. "We replaced carpets, wallpaper, furniture, beds, drapery, TVs, the IT system, toilets, tiles, showers, vanities," he said. "We have all new beds, all new TVs, all new furniture." He added, "We did not leave a single 12-by-12 washcloth in the hotel." The hotel’s conference center is currently being used for storage, and Patel noted that "Since Covid, conferences and meetings have gone down" and asked the community for ideas about adaptive reuse: "We're thinking that we might be able to do some kind of other adaptive use for (the conference center). I'm actually asking the community to give me suggestions."

The decision to affiliate with Marriott followed discussions with the franchisor. "And then Marriott came along," Patel said. "Their loyalty program is really strong, and I feel like it should work well for this property revenue-wise." The City Express by Marriott brand is positioned as a midscale, affordable option and was acquired by Marriott International in 2023. Hospitality trade coverage of similar conversions has emphasized that rebranding can bring fully renovated guestrooms, refreshed public areas, upgraded building systems and enhanced exterior improvements designed to meet Marriott brand standards; such moves are also intended to tap Marriott’s global distribution network and loyalty platform to attract leisure and business travelers.

Locally, the Ridgeway property now sits alongside a separate downtown proposal: GoodNeighbor Properties earlier announced plans for a $22.5 million, 98-room Marriott hotel and restaurant in Bemidji’s Rail Corridor. That planned development is distinct from Patel’s City Express property, but the two projects together increase planned and existing chain-affiliated room supply in the Bemidji market.

For Bemidji businesses and event planners, the City Express reopening could modestly expand capacity for visitors and short-stay travelers, while the fate of the conference center poses questions for local meeting space. DCP Investments already owns hotels in Albert Lea, Minn., and Waterloo, Iowa, and the Bemidji conversion fits a broader industry trend of smaller, older properties being updated and franchised to capture branded distribution and repeat customers.

What comes next is practical: Patel and city officials will need to settle conference-center plans and staffing levels, and residents can weigh in on adaptive uses that would put space back into community service. For local lodging metrics such as occupancy and average daily rate, more detailed data and future reporting will show whether Marriott affiliation drives the revenue gains Patel expects.