Oct. 5, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by The Ramkota Companies.

Nathan Kasselder’s weekend is shaping up to be anything but low-key.

“We’re sold out,” he said, ducking into an empty boardroom for a rare quiet place to talk.

“We have a large group in for two days, and then we flip and get an entertainment group here for the weekend. Just the crew is 60 people.”

Add up all the activity, and the director of sales and marketing is looking at four straight sold-out nights at the ClubHouse Hotel & Suites in Sioux Falls.

“The hotel is a really strong performer in this market. We are always busy.”

And since the hotel opened in late 2004, there has never been a full renovation – until now.

“We’ve had several refreshes, the most recent in 2017, but it’s just time for a deep renovation, and that’s the intent of the work coming up.”

Timing has proved right for Kasselder too. The Sioux Falls native and Roosevelt High School graduate left home in the late 1990s to study at the University of Minnesota. He wasn’t seeking a career in hospitality but found one driving around downtown Minneapolis.

“I was 18 and drove by these big, fancy hotels and thought it would be really fun to work in one of those buildings,” he said. “I was in business school and had no intention of going into hospitality, but I started working at the Hyatt Regency and literally fell in love with it.”

He worked there three years while in college, including as a night auditor, front desk supervisor and in sales.

“Sales is where I really dug in,” he said. “It’s one of those things where it’s in your blood. I love taking care of people and helping create an experience for them.”

His career would take him into hospitality roles in the Twin Cities, Atlanta, Houston and Austin, Texas, where he was working at a hotel and conference center when the pandemic all but shut down the industry. He returned to Sioux Falls and began a reset, becoming director of sales and marketing at the ClubHouse.

“It’s cool to be back,” he said. “A lot of my friends I grew up with and graduated with are here, and several of them are key customers, so it’s come full circle to get to work with them in a whole different capacity.”

Plus, Ramkota is an employee-owned company, “and I’ve never worked for an ESOP before,” he added. “I enjoy the company and can tell it’s committed to a quality product. With respect to the ClubHouse brand, the company is very careful to make sure we maintain the standards and level of service our customers expect.”

Regency Hotel Management operates the ClubHouse Hotel & Suites brand, with signature properties located in Sioux Falls, Fargo and Pierre. It’s expanding to include Rapid City in early 2024.

Kasselder will get to take a lead role in renovating and expanding the Sioux Falls property, beginning this fall when all hotel meeting rooms will receive new audiovisual technology, including smart TV walls and wide screens with ceiling-mounted laser projectors.

Renderings by Perspective

Then, starting in early 2023, “phase one involves renovating all the existing hotel, so we will replace the flooring and carpets, the bathrooms will have all new lighting and lighted mirrors, the closets will have an integrated luggage bench and safe, and the rooms will include sofa sleepers, upholstered chairs and ergonomic desk chairs,” he said. “Plus, we’re adding dual sheer and blackout roller shades and updating the bedding and the artwork, so it’s totally a top-to-bottom renovation.”

The common areas also are scheduled to start work in the first quarter of 2023. The lobby will receive updated lighting, signage, tile and seating. Corridors also will see new carpet and wall vinyl.

“And the entire front desk is being refreshed, along with an expanded breakfast room that will allow for a new continental breakfast,” Kasselder added.

The boardroom also will be relocated and receive new finishes in preparation for the expansion scheduled to begin midyear.

It will add more than 40 rooms east of the current hotel near the pool and along the riverfront. Construction is expected to be done in late 2023 or early 2024.

“What we create when we do the refresh on the current side will carry through the expansion,” Kasselder said. “They’re modernized rooms, and some will have balconies, so you can take advantage of the riverfront views.”

In the meantime, the current hotel is filling up with guests for the remainder of the year and beyond.

“This is a really fun hotel to work at, especially because it has some of the most loyal following of customers of anywhere I’ve worked,” he said. “You notice it especially around the holidays where families see it as their traditional gathering spot. They’ve stayed here for years, and it’s special to be part of that.”

Group business also is showing strong demand.

“If you’re looking for a holiday party on a Saturday night, call me soon,” he said. “There aren’t many left. This November will probably be one of our strongest Novembers ever with a lot of group business, which is recovering faster than business travel. We’re seeing a lot of bookings on short notice. I just booked two large corporate customers coming in two weeks with nearly 50 attendees each. And most of our long-term core groups have rescheduled for next year, so we’ve not seen any drop-off in that. If anything, it’s increased.”

As he finds his way back into the Sioux Falls community, Kasselder said he’s committed to growing here. He recently was named to the Evan C. Nolte Leadership Sioux Falls program.

“Sioux Falls is a great community, and when I came back, I said if I’m going to stay here, I want to participate in this and help make the city attractive and enjoyable,” he said. “I don’t know that there’s a stronger business community and growing city than Sioux Falls.”

To reach the ClubHouse Hotel & Suites, click here.