What’s the Story, Rainbow glory…

We embrace every color of the rainbow here at RSVP, in large part due to some of the fab history of this little place. Way back before the days of fresh paint, remodeling and revitalizing, the RSVP got its start as the classic Rainbow Hotel, a mid-century staple of ‘Bozeman’s midtown. But ‘what’s the story behind the name, and ‘what’s the legacy the Rainbow leaves behind?

It Must Be a Sign

Many have commented on the sign we have out front. What’s the deal with the 25-foot neon sign that reads “Rainbow”? The 50s-era Rainbow Hotel stood on this site for decades, welcoming weary travelers with open arms. 

Since the sale and subsequent revamp to create the RSVP in 2018, we weren’t willing to bid adieu to so much history. So we kept the spirit of the hotel alive with a fresh coat of paint and a stylish rethink to the landmark sign. It still guides travelers to our uber-chic boutique to this day.

A Story for the Ages

The story of the RSVP starts with a movement. It’s no accident that you can pick out the 1950s architecture underneath a style that’s a modern take on mid-century with eclectic global flair. The bones of this place are all original, even if ‘it’s gotten a facelift in recent years. And the story behind the structure is a lot bigger than one hotel in one little mountain town.

When you stay in a hotel, you’re traveling back in time to the glory days of the road trip. After World War II, when the boys were home, rations were over, and the country began to recover, travel by car exploded. With more and more people moving around on four wheels, motor hotels—or hotels—started springing up along the main autoroutes. Filling the need for a convenient location and ample parking, these first hotels were the home of roadside glitz and glam.

Most of the first stops popped up along famed Route 66 through the Southwest and out toward the west coast, but the hotel business started booming as highways developed. It was the classic mom and pop story – a small family business with lots of room to grow. But as the rise of the interstates took drivers out of city centers, and the influx of big chains drove smaller businesses out, the era of the hotel declined through the subsequent decades.

That’s why ‘we’re delighted to be able to put an element of the family back in the hotel business with the revitalization of the RSVP and Bozeman’s midtown scene.

One Year Down, Plenty More to Go!

We’re excited to be celebrating the first anniversary of RSVP! The Folkvord family took on this project together, eager to bring a bit of spring back into the step of the midtown Bozeman scene. When you stay at the RSVP, you can get in on the action and help us celebrate—with a little bubbly, of course!

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Topics: Midtown Bozeman