RISE Modular Celebrates Opening of Minnesota’s First Modular Holiday Inn Express

RISE Modular joined project partners and community members to celebrate the grand opening of Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Alexandria, Minnesota. The 92-room hotel officially began operations August 14, marking Minnesota’s first modular Holiday Inn Express and the fourth modular hotel developed by IHG, Holiday Inn’s parent company, in North America.

RISE Modular manufactured, transported and installed 52 modules for the three-story hotel, working with project partners Runestone Hospitality and Nile Inc., and general contractor Tradesman Construction. The approximately 10-month construction process demonstrates how volumetric modular construction can help hospitality developers navigate challenging weather, site conditions and labor constraints while maintaining project momentum.

“Hospitality projects require a balance of schedule, quality, design and cost,” said Ned Dodington, vice president of business development and strategy at RISE Modular. “By manufacturing guestroom modules in our climate-controlled facility in Owatonna, Minn. while site work progressed in Alexandria, we helped the project team manage winter conditions and site readiness challenges. This project shows how modular construction can bring greater predictability to hotel development no matter the time of year.”

A Faster Path from Construction to Opening

The hotel features 92 guest rooms and suites, an indoor pool and, a fitness center, meeting and conference space, EV charging stations and pet-friendly accommodations.

For Shari Prause, general manager and director of sales, the benefits of modular construction were especially clear during the final preparations for opening. Prause joined the team in January, after the modules were in place, and led hiring, sales and operational readiness ahead of the hotel’s August opening.

“One of the biggest time-savers was that the guest rooms were already furnished,” Prause said. “We didn’t have to bring in and assemble 92 beds, desks and chairs. That saved a tremendous amount of time as we prepared to welcome our first guests.”

The project was designed to meet the needs of travelers and the Alexandria community while addressing the realities of building in northern Minnesota. Soil corrections affected site readiness, and local labor availability presented additional challenges. RISE’s climate-controlled manufacturing facility allowed guestroom production to continue through winter while site preparation progressed in parallel.

The project also gave IHG representatives an opportunity to see modular construction firsthand, with local teams and company leaders from Atlanta and New York visiting the site to explore how off-site construction could support future projects across the franchise network.