BUTTE – Owners of Butte’s historic Finlen Hotel believe now is the right time to invest in the old building.
“Butte is ready for investment and is ready for a first-class hotel,” said Finlen co-owner J.J. Adams.
Adams and his fellow investors have upgraded the rooms, improved the sign and even plan to add solar panels to this part of the building.
“It will offset about 20 percent of our energy consumption of our electric consumption and we’re super excited about it,” said Adams.
The hotel was built in 1924 after in the design of the famed Hotel Astor in New York City. It was supposed to have two towers, but the construction of the second tower was halted when the depression hit in the 1930s. But Adams plans to use that space again.
“They’re working on a plan to furnish those and bring those into production and more than double the size of the historic part of the hotel business,” said Adams.
The owners believe they can bring customers to the Finlen by targeting history buffs and millennial travelers.
“Millennials are interested in things that are authentic and interesting and weird, right, so we have plans to go after them as well,” said Adams.
With the cost of living rising in cities like Missoula and Bozeman, J.J. Adams believes that more people are willing to come to Butte and invest in the Mining City and that means the future hear is looking up.
“We think we’re at the front of a big wave of people who are going to see the location of Butte the opportunity in Butte. We think this is a really good and special time to be in Butte,” he said.
Reporting by John Emeigh for MTN News
