TL;DR
- Historic charm: with contemporary updates maintaining character
- Local art: sourced from Fargo’s artistic scene
- Sociable stay: with chic common areas, an Irish Pub and a cool rooftop lounge
- Friendly staff: and 24-hour responsive front desk
- Check prices here
Hotel Donaldson is a Downtown Fargo boutique that offers a pretty unique stay near all the city’s best attractions.
The low-level, brick building has served as a guesthouse for over a century, and still sports a lovely selection of suites.
The last renovation went more or less all-in on the contemporary appeal without losing the building’s charm.
Colors are bright and common areas are chic, and they’re all beautifully complemented with exposed brick and lovely wooden beams.
We especially love that the decor is decidedly local. Many contemporary-style hotels feature hip prints with a decided best of IKEA vibe.
Hotel Donaldson, on the other hand, has sourced artwork from all around Fargo’s considerable artistic scene.
Add this to a friendly and responsive 24-hour front desk, and there’s not much you’re going to be miss.
What are the rooms like?
- Number of rooms: 17 suites
- Variety: King Suites and Deluxe Suites, all at least 400 sq ft
- Unique decor: inspired by local artwork
- High-quality amenities: including soaking tubs, workspaces, mini-bars, smart TVs, and robes
- See all the rooms in detail here
It’s a collection of just under 20 Suites, with plenty of options that range from straightforward King Suites to more fancy Deluxe Suites.
They’re all at least 400 square feet, meaning you’ll have plenty of room wherever you end up.
Decor, we are more than happy to say, is unique to each room, inspired by the artwork found inside.
You get a more-or-less traditional landscape, the room is an upscale casual reminiscent of the local star orthodontist’s in-law suite.
You get an imaginative, colorful abstraction, we’re talking cushions in a range of primaries, bare white with bold touches of color.
It’s a clever way to keep the decor simple without getting boring. In practice, it means that we recommend you book on amenities, and let the decor come as it may.
We’re fairly sure you won’t be disappointed.
Besides extras like soaking tubs and stylish brick walls, the basic amenities are high-quality.
There are workspaces, mini-bars, seating areas, smart TVs, and robes in all the suites.
What are prices like?
And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?
- Dining options: Blarney Stone Irish Pub and Sky Prairie, a chic rooftop cocktail lounge
- Room service: available for breakfast and other meals
- Perks include: complimentary afternoon wine and cheese hours.
- Fitness: 24-hour gym with cardio machines, weights, and mats
Food can be found in two places, plus the room service (the way to get a decent breakfast here).
The onsite restaurant/bar is the Irish themed Blarney Stone Pub, open from 11 am.
The tap list is a mile long, and there are all sorts of other bar snacks and food that go well with locally-made beverages.
The old fireplace is another draw, lovely for sipping a stout by on a winter’s evening.
The real attraction, however, is Sky Prairie, the hotel’s rooftop cocktail lounge.
Now, this isn’t a tall building, meaning you won’t be gazing at the tops of skyscrapers or watching the city sprawl for miles.
Or, well, it is North Dakota, maybe the sky gets big enough just from that second floor.
But really, what it means is that the vibe is more Very Hip House Party than Fancy Hotel Roof Bar, which we prefer anyway.
Also, don’t forget the complimentary afternoon wine and cheese hours.
Besides food and drink, you’ll enjoy a 24-hour fitness center decked out in cardio machines, weights, and mats.
How is the neighborhood? Anything interesting nearby?
- Central location: in Downtown Fargo near major attractions
- Art and culture: walking distance to museums and theater
- Nearby eats: Broadway area and Drekker Brewing Company
The nice thing about a small city is that it’s easy to know where the fun happens, and often easy to get from one place to another.
Hotel Donaldson is in the perfect spot for a trip to Fargo, an easy walk to many different places of interest.
Of course, a lot of these will be art-based, but it’s not a big surprise for a downtown area.
The Plains Art Museum, the Hjemkomst Center, the Rourke Art Museum, and the gorgeous 1926 Fargo Theatre are all within a 10-minute walk.
And it’s not just museums, with plenty of neat places to eat or drink in the Broadway area, right by the hotel.
Even Drekker Brewing Company and the area around Brewhalla is just 20 minutes away, though the post-industrial vibes mean that it’s maybe not the most pleasant of all walks.
A tour-d-Applebees might require a car, unfortunately, but even then the farthest shouldn’t be more than a 20-minute drive.
And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?
Some things guests liked:
“Great location in downtown Fargo. Beautifully renovated building full of character, art and ambience. The room was spacious and the bed so very comfortable. The room included luxurious bathrobes, a very large TV, and a comfortable leather sofa. There was an evening turndown with chocolates, morning coffee and pastries delivered to our room and early evening wine and cheese in the lobby. Outside our elevator were shelves of beautiful books on the history, flora and fauna of North Dakota. The Donaldson and Fargo was our favorite stop on our road trip….”
“I had a delayed flight and chose to stay in Fargo instead of going back and forth to Grand Forks. I am so glad that I did, this hotel was far above my expectations for the price. The staff were kind and very helpful, the room was so inviting with actually good wine available in my room that really made what could have been a bad day a great day. Very close to restaurants, and a great cafe, the snowy view was beautiful. Morning time room service was so nice, and they have an Irish Pub downstairs. I would recommend this place!..”
Some things guests didn’t like:
”The steam room is just a one-person steam shower. Functional but a bit of a disappointment….”
”The only issue I had is our room keys, the would work to get to the third floor but only one out of three keys would actually open the door to our room. Twice, I had to ask the front desk to reset the keys, but other than that I had no complaints….”
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