Owner Tim Johnson has built something the Black Hills didn’t know it needed: a soft-branded, group-savvy hotel that punches well above its category, with a George S. Mickelson Award to back it up.
By Jeff Gayduk
Rapid City sits at the eastern gateway to the Black Hills, a natural staging ground for groups exploring Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park and Badlands National Park. It’s a market saturated with lodging options which makes what Tim Johnson built at Elevation Inn & Suites all the more noteworthy.
The 98-room property, set just off I-190 near downtown Rapid City and adjacent to The Monument arena, carries a backstory that mirrors its owner’s philosophy: don’t fit the mold, build your own. Originally a Howard Johnson—a brand identity Johnson shed in July 2025—the hotel is now part of Wyndham’s Trademark Collection, a soft-brand program designed for properties with a distinct character that don’t conform to a traditional chain template.
“We’re what’s considered a soft brand,” Johnson explained during a mid-May conversation at the property. “We are a hotel that does not fit the mold of a hard chain hotel—whether it be a Holiday Inn or Courtyard property. We don’t fit that mold.”
The Trademark affiliation wasn’t an easy fit to land. Johnson credits his renovation track record for earning the brand’s confidence. “The president of Trademark was like, I’ll give you a shot—just make sure it’s unique, you have a story behind your brand, and that you represent the name well.” Johnson leaned on his decades of hospitality chops; staring his hospitality career as a teenager working at a local RV Park, before a series of management stints at local properties before purchasing what is now the Elevation.
Tour Groups Are the Foundation
Johnson doesn’t treat group business as a fill strategy, they are his base. By mid-May 2026, the property had already hosted approximately 20 motorcoach groups for the season, with international visitors accounting for roughly 20 percent of summer occupancy. That mix comes from years of relationship-building at industry trade shows: Johnson is a regular at ABA and NTA, attends Go West, International Roundup, and IPW for overseas operators, and has also built direct partnerships with receptive operators stateside.
“I like to set my base off the bus groups and the intimate groups—those are really good partnerships. Then I grow from there,” he said. “With this approach, we’re outperforming other Rapid City properties. Those groups who are loyal to us, we’re loyal to them.”
Group policies are practical and operator-friendly: one comp room for every 20 paid, free breakfast with dedicated breakfast space with omelet stations available for select groups that want their own area, and luggage handling baked into the arrival flow.
Related: Exploring the Black Hills and Badlands, South Dakota
Artisans Culture Hour: A Differentiator Worth Noting
The welcome reception Johnson has long offered his groups is getting a significant upgrade in 2026. He has spent over a year vetting and developing what he calls the Artisans Culture Hour—a program bringing authentic Native American artists into the hotel during group arrivals.
“I have lined up Native American artists who will come in during our welcome reception,” Johnson explained. “For example, Daryl Red Cloud does beadwork—he’ll come in with his full regalia and have his beadwork on display. But then he’ll also show how it’s made. There’s a lot meaning behind the shapes, curves, and colors. So, he’s going to teach how that originated, what it all means.”
The vetting process was deliberate. Johnson sought out artists who are also academic experts—professors who understand both the craft and the cultural history behind it. “Some of that’s being lost,” he said. “I want to make sure it’s authentic, especially for my guests, because they are wanting the experience.” The program, offered at no charge to guests, can also include quillwork artists, drummers, and hoop dancers. For larger groups or specific arrival schedules, Johnson has partnered with the Journey Museum—a short distance from the property—to expand the experience into a catered dinner with museum access.
Location, Arena Access & Destination Selling
Elevation’s location is literally one of its quieter selling points. Set back from the street in a low-traffic pocket of downtown, the property gives groups easy access to Main Street Square that passes through a World War II memorial and sections of the Berlin Wall near Memorial Park. Next door sits The Summit Arena, home to concerts, the Black Hills Fox ECHL professional hockey team, state high school athletic championships, and—come this October—one of the world’s largest indoor pow wows.
“When they have events next door, sometimes leaving my front door to get into that main arena is closer than if you park in their parking lot,” Johnson noted.
Johnson currently chairs the Visit Rapid City board and previously served as president of The Monument’s board, giving him unique visibility across the destination’s hospitality ecosystem. His approach to trade shows reflects that perspective. “You have to sell the destination,” he said. “I sell probably the Alex Johnson Hotel just as much as I do mine—because if I can create this demand in Rapid City, rising tides lift all boats.”
That cooperative mindset extends to how Johnson evaluates his own success. In 2020, his property earned the George S. Mickelson Award, South Dakota Tourism’s highest guest service honor and in 2025, the property won a Best of Trademark award. That’s the kind of recognition that doesn’t happen by accident.
“A lot of times in hotels, associates take it for granted—thinking that we’re doing the guest a service by being here,” Johnson said. “Here it’s the opposite. We would not be here if it wasn’t for those guests coming through our front door.”
For Group Inquiries: Elevation Inn & Suites, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
Downtown Rapid City, South Dakota, 98 rooms including 32 suites and nearly 2,000 sq. ft. meeting space Elevation Inn & Suites – Elevation Inn & Suites
