Meetings, conferences, banquets, company holiday parties, tour group stays and wedding receptions can be held here for 12 to 350 guests. The Hotel Alex Johnson is a historic hotel in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota, in the Black Hills, and part of the Curio Collection by Hilton.
Seminars and company events
The hotel has a ballroom and five smaller rooms that cover most meeting formats, from a board meeting of 12 to a plenary session of 300. Rooms are set to order in theater, classroom, U-shape, H-square, conference or banquet layouts, with adjustable lighting. The technical list includes digital displays, video conferencing, livestreaming, standalone screens and projectors, a podium, HDMI connections, wired internet and Wi-Fi, cordless and lapel microphones and easels. A business center is open to attendees.
For short executive sessions, the hotel rents its rooftop bar, Vertex Sky Bar, in two-hour morning blocks with food and drink packages. It suits client breakfasts and briefings above the city. The hotel also takes bus tours and other groups traveling through the Black Hills.
Weddings and receptions
The renovated ballrooms host wedding receptions, from small parties to large dinners, and the event team helps choose the room and the menu. A cake cutting service, full bar, dance floor and stage can be booked. The same rooms are used for engagement parties, bridal and baby showers, anniversaries, reunions, birthdays, themed parties and celebrations of life. A wedding brochure and menus are available from the hotel.
Rooms and capacities
The Ballroom is the largest space: 300 theater style, 350 for a standing reception, 200 at rounds, 150 classroom, 100 in an H-square and 75 around a conference table. The Lincoln Room takes 140 theater style, 150 standing and 64 at rounds. The Washington Room takes 80 theater style and 95 standing, and the Rushmore Room 70 theater style and 80 standing. Rushmore and Washington combine for 150 theater style, 175 standing or 80 at rounds. The Jefferson Room is a boardroom for 12.
Catering
Food for meetings and banquets is prepared by the hotel's own staff, with set banquet menus and catering packages. A portable bar, stocked to the client's order, can be added to any meeting or banquet room. For meals outside the program, the hotel has Juniper at Vertex Sky Bar on the roof, Paddy O'Neill's Irish Pub and a Starbucks.
History and setting
The hotel opened on July 1, 1928. Its architecture borrows from Germanic Tudor style, with handcrafted decoration throughout, and over the decades it has received several U.S. presidents and many well-known guests. The guest rooms have been renovated recently, with modern comforts behind the historic decoration. The hotel is a member of the Curio Collection by Hilton.
Getting there
The hotel stands at 523 Sixth Street in the center of Rapid City, within walking distance of downtown restaurants and shops. Mount Rushmore and the other Black Hills sights are within driving distance, which makes the hotel a practical base for groups that combine meetings with excursions.
