The Hotel Alex Johnson, a downtown landmark in Rapid City, is under new ownership.

An investment group comprised of members of the Bradsky, Patton and Boyum families purchased the property, and the change of hands took effect Tuesday, confirmed Rich Dunkelberger, chief executive officer of ISIS Hospitality, the Bradsky-affiliated firm that will manage the hotel.

"They are absolutely thrilled about this acquisition," Dunkelberger said of the investment group.

The hotel was purchased from Jim Didier, whose family owned the property since 1985. During their tenure, the family managed to keep the building up to date while maintaining its historic character. Dunkelberger said the new owners will face a similar challenge as the iconic hotel undergoes a "top to bottom" renovation of the hotel's public areas, guest accommodations and restaurant.

"We're planning on a very thorough renovation, but we want to keep the historic integrity of the property intact," said Dunkelberger.

Dunkelberger said the comprehensive renovation project, which will be overseen by Dear, Mitchell, Digges Design of Williamsburg, Va., could begin as early as next fall.

"We want to start as soon as possible, but it's going to take quite a bit of planning time," he said.

In addition to the Alex Johnson, ISIS Hospitality currently manages the Country Inn & Suites, the AmericInn Lodge & Suites, the LaQuinta Inn & Suites, the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott and the WaTiki Indoor Water Park Resort in Rapid City as well as Cadillac Jack's Gaming Resort and Tin Lizzie casinos in Deadwood.

"We are just very bullish on the city at large, especially downtown," said Dunkelberger.

"And we think this property fits in nicely with our portfolio."

Dunkelberger said ISIS conducted interviews with all employees at the hotel and were able to retain "the vast majority" of the staff.

"As with every acquisition, there are a few that didn't make the cut," he said. "We wish we could have hired them all."

Hotel Alex Johnson has been an upscale visitor destination and gathering place in downtown Rapid City since 1928. It is named for railroad executive Alex Johnson, who built the Rapid City showplace to capitalize on the coming tourism boom.

Work began on the hotel Aug. 19, 1927, the day before sculptor Gutzon Borglum began carving Mount Rushmore.

Contact Andrew Gorder at andrew.gorder@rapidcityjournal.com

Alex Johnson timeline

- Late 1880s - Alexander Carlton Johnson comes to the Black Hills to solicit cattle shipments for the railroads. He later became vice president of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.

- Aug. 19, 1927 - Work begins on the Hotel Alex Johnson after Johnson decides Rapid City needs a luxury hotel with a Native American theme. Work on the hotel started the day before sculptor Gutzon Borglum began carving Mount Rushmore.

- July 1, 1928 - Johnson opens the hotel in downtown Rapid City. When it opened, legend has it that the first person to check in was a man from Los Angeles named Patrick O'Neill. Today, the first floor pub, Paddy O'Neill's, is named in his honor.

- 1958 - Alfred Hitchcock, Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant stay at the hotel while filming "North By Northwest."

- 1992 - Owner Jim Didier's brother, Tom Didier, undertakes a major top-to-bottom renovation after several ownership changes and renovations throughout the years to reflect the changing tourism industry. Tom Didier divided some of the larger suites into standard size rooms, because at the time, bus tours were becoming more important to the hotel.

- 2005 - An oil portrait of Alex Johnson is donated to the hotel from Alex S. Johnson, a great nephew of Alex Johnson living in Singapore. The painting had hung in the hotel lobby in the past, but left the hotel as ownership changed throughout the years. The painting was done by artist John Doctoroff in 1928 and presented to Johnson by the Chicago Rotary Club in honor of his service to the group in 1924 and 1925. The painting now hangs in the hotel lobby.

- Other notable Alex Johnson guests: Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum; Presidents Calvin Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan; actors Henry, Jane and Peter Fonda, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elizabeth Shue, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Costner and Tom Sizemore.