The Best Western Starlite Village Inn & Suites, an iconic Fort Dodge hotel, is getting a new name and a new focus.

The property will cease to be a Best Western as of Dec. 2, and will be re-branded as the Crossroads Hotel and Event Center.

“In looking at our hotel guest composition, we felt like the Best Western brand had run its course here in Fort Dodge,” said Matt Johnson, board chairman of Crossroads Partners LLC, a group of local investors who originally purchased the property in January 2020.

“We are excited to reposition the hotel as a locally-owned, independent property free from the restrictions of a national franchise,” he added.

Johnson said the property won’t require any major remodeling as part of the conversion.

“The hotel is already in good condition so the rebranding will only require some minor cosmetic updates, new signage, a new website, new uniforms for our staff and some other enhancements in order to complete the conversion to the Crossroads Hotel & Event Center,” he said.

He added that the hotel will retain all of its current employees.

“There’s of course a lot of work to do on a property conversion like this,” Johnson said, “but along with that comes a lot of excitement and fresh enthusiasm from our staff, guests and community partners.”

Johnson said that some of the property’s exterior rooms are being converted to more of an extended stay concept to meet the needs of guests who are coming to Fort Dodge for several weeks or months. The extended stays will be available at a monthly rate rather than a daily rate, and will include additional amenities such as in-room cooking facilities and dishes.

“We already have guests who have been staying with us for over a year,” Johnson said. “A number of local companies have expressed interest in more extended stay options, so we are going to offer several reimagined units in order to help meet that demand.”

Johnson said that the Hacienda restaurant currently located on site is leased to an independent operator and will remain open.

The hotel event and meeting center has recently been leased to Rock City Events, LLC, a local company founded by Macy Johnson, a young entrepreneur who graduated from Iowa Central Community College with degrees in hospitality and digital marketing.

The events center and hotel will operate together to offer a variety of new entertainment and staycation options.

“We are super excited for the opportunity to re-energize the events center at the Crossroads property,” Macy Johnson said. “It’s a beautiful facility with a storied history in Fort Dodge and it’s going to be a lot of fun bringing the space back to life.”

“We will still offer our guests unforgettable wedding experiences, business meetings, conferences and other traditional events offerings, but together with the hotel we are expanding the vision for the property to include a variety of entertainment, staycation packages, themed parties, dances, celebrations and other activities that will give people a broader experience, and more reasons to come visit our community,” she said.

Johnson said the November events calendar is already brimming with new offerings.

“Last weekend we hosted a sock hop with live music from Richie Lee and the Fabulous 50’s and a Halloween dance party with DJ Dean Vinchattle. This weekend features Villains Dance, an ’80s arena rock band on Friday night, and the Avey Grouws Band, a popular Midwest blues and roots rock band, on Saturday night. Monday is Veterans Day, with a celebration and fundraiser for the Veterans Memorial Bridge project in Fort Dodge. The celebration will feature live music from local artists and an afternoon swing dance with music provided by a jazz quartet from Omaha.”

She said that upcoming events in the coming weeks include a magician/mentalist show, a vendor show and craft fair, a live country band, and a new comedy show series featuring renowned comedians from the Chicago area.

“On top of all that, December is starting to fill up with Christmas party reservations,” Johnson added. “People are already hearing about all that we have going on and are starting to book their space while we still have dates available. We’re definitely off to a running start and we have a lot more in the works for 2025.”

The property’s location at the junction of U.S. Highway 169 and Iowa Highway 7 offers high visibility and easy access for travelers, including those flying into the Fort Dodge Regional Airport just a few miles northeast.

“The vision is for the Crossroads Hotel and Event Center to be a comfortable place to stay and a place where a lot of things are happening,” Matt Johnson said. “We are the largest hotel property in this part of Iowa with the best amenities including the central indoor pool area, the on-site restaurant, and our on-site meeting and event space. There are over 100 rooms with a variety of room styles to choose from, including poolside rooms that are perfect for family fun, quiet exterior rooms for business travelers, economy rooms for budget conscious travelers, and the new extended stay units for guests who are looking for a more comfortable place to come home to while in the area.”

Crossroads Partners LLC are also the owners of the Brookstone Inn & Suites property located at First Avenue South and 32nd Street. The Brookstone was built in 2019 and remains the newest hotel in the community. The two properties share a shuttle van and other resources. Both hotels are managed by Ledgestone Hospitality out of Minneapolis.

The new website for the Crossroads Hotel and Event Center is currently under construction and will be located at www.crossroadsfortdodge.com.